Monday Memo 352: Self Interest is the Best Interest

Every now and then someone asks whether or not it is selfish to pursue purpose.  They may ask where the cross of Christ comes in when you are doing something that you love doing.  Many people still feel that God will give you an assignment that you hate doing and that is somehow more spiritual than doing something you enjoy.  My answer to those who ask those questions is that self-interest is the best interest where purpose is concerned.  Before you tune me out, let me explain.

YOUR DESIRES

First, let’s look at Acts 13:2:  “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (emphasis added).  When God assigns you a purpose, He is really doing something for Himself, in His own interests.  When God calls you to a purpose, that purpose actually brings you closer to Him.  Pursuing your purpose then, which always gives you joy and peace, is not something you do for yourself.  It is something you do for God. 

Then, let’s look at Psalm 37:4:  “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  If you will delight yourself in the Lord, then God will grant you the desires of your heart.  Why?  He will do so because He put those desires there in the first place!  When you pursue your God-given desires, which may seem like self-interest, you are actually pursuing the things of God.  God uses your joyful desires to indicate that you are doing something right, not something wrong.

And finally, let’s once again look at Proverbs 16:3 in the Amplified Version (I know we looked at this verse last week, but it bears repeating):  “Roll your works upon the Lord—commit and trust them wholly to Him—and He will cause your thoughts to be in agreement with His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.”  You may have been taught to distrust your thoughts and desires, but I am urging you to pay attention to them if you are serious about finding your purpose.  If the Spirit lives in you to give you the mind of Christ, why are so surprised that you have it?

AT THE CROSS, AT THE CROSS, WHERE I FIRST SAW THE LIGHT. . .

So where does the cross come into the picture?  The cross does not require that you deny who you are, but the cross does require that you allow God to determine where and when you express your purpose.  Church work has never been my favorite place to fulfill my purpose of creating order out of chaos, but it is the very place where I am most effective.  So I submit to God’s will for who I am and where I am most effective.  To deny my purpose would deny me the power and joy I need to pick up my cross daily and follow Him as I carry out His will.

So now you know why I say that self-interest is really the best interest where purpose is concerned.  Don’t deny who you are, but then don’t try to choose the sphere where God wants you to give yourself.  I pray that God will grant you the desires of your heart this week as you pick up your cross to follow Jesus.  Have a great week!

    Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, June 18 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Five: One Woman Helping Others Find Purpose

Do women face any special challenges where purpose is concerned?  What can one woman do to make a difference?  To find out, join John Stanko and his special guest, Yvonne Brooks, from Birmingham, England.  Yvonne is the founder of Women of Purpose in the UK where she writes, speaks and inspires women there and everywhere to find and fulfill their purpose.   

Comments

[frida kamau]

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