I have been reading a book by my friend and colleague Barbara Lachance entitled "The Blank Canvas," Discovering the Masterpiece that you are! I recommend reading this book for insight into how God has created each of us for a purpose that He has planned long ago. Of course being a Pastor and public speaker I have used the thoughts generated by this book to challenge others.
For years I have been preaching and teaching on "purpose and identity" from the scriptures. It is a topic that I seldom heard anything about growing up in the church. The message was simply give your life to Christ and serve Him. The serving part was always associated with church activities, nothing really connected to the other hundreds of hours that we spend involved with our occupations and family. There has always been this huge disconnection. There was "church" and then there was the other time, period. What I have found is that this leaves people, and for years me feeling that if I wasn't doing something constantly with the church, I wasn't a very good Christian.
I ask people all the time, "Why do you exist?" Very few Christians can honestly answer that question without responding with a religous cliche. "To glorify God!" "To worship Him and serve Him!" There are many of these phrases that we all have used. They may be truth, but they are very general at best. Few people have a specific answer to why they exist. They haven't been taught that using your gifts, talents and abilities in LIFE is all a part of why you are here on this earth and how you use them will determine if you will fulfill your purpose in which you were created. They help make you a masterpiece and they were placed in you by God before time (2 Tim. 1:9 and Ephs. 2:10). When you understand this kingdom principle you will begin to sense the pleasure of God in all aspects of your life. The blank canvas will begin to come alive with color and your life will begin to reveal the masterpiece that you are!
Can I suggest to you to take some time and seek God by asking Him to reveal why you exist! Because as Ephesians 2:10 says,
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us a new in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
NOW THAT IS PRICELESS!
To purchase Barbara's book you can go to www.theblankcanvas.org.
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