The Goal
Good Morning,
Acts 20:24 "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
The greatest tragedy in human life is that we go through life not knowing why we are in this life. To live, breath, eat, and work, then die never knowing what we were on earth to do is an enormous waste and frustration beyond words. Doing His will yields great satisfaction and fulfillment in life!
What would be the work of Satan? One priority of his is to keep us from doing that which God desires us to do.
God wants me to be a pastor; He wants my wife to be "my wife" and to be whatever is needed to keep me from getting off God’s plan (my helpmeet). God wants us to raise our children for Him. God wishes me to influence others to know Him and to love Him. The man who works at Lowes would have the same agenda from the Lord, regarding children and others. His career is different but to do his work in a way honoring to God would be the same as my work in the church.
If Satan wishes to keep us from doing the work God called us to do, we must be on alert, think before we act, and observe life around us. Suffering can get us to stop living for God. We can get discouraged, frustrated, angry, bitter, or have any number of other feelings that would cause us to quit teaching Sunday school or working on a bus route.
Disappointment and vengeance can keep us from influencing others to love God and serve Him.
Notice what Paul said in Acts 20, "None of these things move me." Paul said he would keep doing what God called him to do, whether he was hurt or threatened. 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 has a long list of perils Paul had faced, but his goal was never to avoid trouble. He was going to keep serving God through the trials.
2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
vs. 8 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;”
vs. 9 “Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”
vs. 10 “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
vs. 16 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
Paul had a goal of finishing his work; "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course.” The trouble along the way was simply junk the devil threw at him to try to make him quit.
Remember, the great fulfillment in life is to know what you were placed on earth to do, and then the next greatest satisfaction is to DO IT!
View the distractions or obstacles that would get you away from your Bible as fiery darts from the wicked one. (Ephesians 6:16) Consider your trials as road blocks by the devil in hopes of discouraging you enough to quit on God, give up on training your children to live for God, and quit loving your spouse and joining them in the great work God called the two of you to do.
If the greatest joy is to know and do what God has called us to do, the greatest sorrow would be to miss it.
Philippians 3:13 “...forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
vs. 14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Pastor