‘Start with WHY’

~Simon Sinek’s Bestselling Idea~

Paul and a bunch of very smart people searching for the purpose of life. He took their prevailing belief and claimed it for Christ and not for Zeus.

Acts 17:28

For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ —Acts 17:28 (HCSB)

“It all starts with God.”

Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life p. 17

“You were made by God and for God and until you understand that, life will never make sense.”

Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life

Two Ways to Discover your Purpose:

I. SPECULATION

Speculation is a dead end. The typical pattern that success gurus suggest for discovering your purpose looks like this:

Consider YOUR dreams.
Clarify YOUR values.
Set some goals.
Work incredibly hard.
Don’t stop believin’!
6.Involve others.
7.Arrive at ‘success city.’

Even as a Christ follower, this was my pattern for decades and I can assure it’s a total and utter waste of your life. Start with GOD and the gifts he has hard-wired into you [ your design ]and NOT with just want you ‘want to do’ to discover your destiny.

II. REVELATION

A. Find your destiny as part of God’s purposes for the planet.

The true path to purpose and ultimate success flows from God through Christ our Lord and the Holy Spirit.

Sumbit yourself to HIS mission for the world and allow yourself to be cast in the role He chooses for you in the ‘movie’ that He is producing on the world’s stage.

Matthew 6:33

Seek first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be provided for you. —Jesus

Matthew 28:18-20

All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to do everything I have commanded you. And, remember I am going with you always. —Jesus

This great commission that Jesus gives to us and the priority that His work is to take in our lives does not automatically extract us from the marketplace, school or ball field, it energizes us to be His Ambassadors in those places. [ 2 Corinthians 5:20 ] For most of us this does not mean that we should quit our job, join a monestary, or go to Seminary. Most Christ followers have a design that fits the marketplace perfectly, therefore, can make their biggest Kingdom difference out in the ‘real world’ as an Ambassador for the Lord bringing light into the darkness where few follow Christ wholeheartedly. Your design may dictate and the Lord may have destined you to be on mission right where you work, play or go to school right now. I call that “Mission at One Degree.” Just let Him direct your thougths, words and deeds at work and love people the way Jesus did and you’ll be amazed at how God can and will use you right where you are.

MISSION @ 1 DEGREE – your mission field may be right where you are! [unless God specifically tells you otherwise!]

William Wilbeforce is a great example of someone who wrestled with his calling. After his rebirth as a Christ follower he felt called to enter full time Christian ministry. Keep in mind that Wilbeforce was uniquely gifted and positioned as a powerful rising politician at the time in Englad. When Wilbeforce asked his mentor, John Newton [ a former slave trader turned priest who wrote the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’] what he should do, Newton suggested that Wilbeforce NOT become a preacher, but rather, use his powerful giftedness in politics and make a difference for the Lord there. And, so he did and God used him to change history and end slavery in Great Britain even though it was the work of his lifetime. [ I strongly suggest that you watch the Movie ‘Amazing Grace’ that came out around 2006 about William Wilbeforce. Not the latest ‘Amazing Grace’ movie about Althea Franklin! ]

B. Your destiny is revealed in your unique design.

Ephesians 2:10

‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.’ —Paul in the Holman Christian Standard Version

Check out this more poetic rendering from ‘The Passion Translation:’

‘We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!” —Paul as quoted by The Passion Translation

YOU WERE CREATED FOR A SPECIAL PURPOSE BY GOD WITH UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAKE YOU SPECIALLY SUITED TO CARRY OUT THE PLANS AND PURPOSES THAT HE HAS DESTINED YOU FOR. HOWEVER YOU CAN ACCEPT OR REJECT PARTICIPATION IN HIS PLAN. AS UNBELIEVABLE AS IT SOUNDS GOD WILL NOT ‘MAKE’ YOU DO HIS WILL. HE WILL LET YOU WRITE, CAST DIRRECT AND PRODUCE YOUR OWN MOVIE ALL ABOUT YOU, WHICH RARELY HAS A GOOD ENDING.

“Your gifts are not random. They are a blueprint for your destiny.” —Briann Wiest, Medium, ‘You’re Not Meant to do What You Love’

Have you come to a place in your life where you’ve invited Jesus to be your power source and path to discovering your ‘why’ for living?

Simon Sinek says ’Start with Why’ but I say, ‘Start with God’ and your unique design and then you’ll truly experience your purpose, power and true success in all dimensions of your life. Then you’ll be well on your way to your best decade ever!

Start with God and your unique design.

Reveal Answer

HOMEWORK

If you are struggling with your life’s calling, I strongly suggest that you watch the Movie ‘Amazing Grace’ that came out around 2006 about William Wilbeforce. Not the latest ‘Amazing Grace’ movie about Althea Franklin!

FOR FUTHER READING ABOUT GIFTS: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/spiritual-gifts