The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo 354: Is Your Work Your Purpose?

It's up and running!  My new and revised website is open for business and it has a lot of new features that I know you will enjoy and find useful.  More on that later and you can also look for a special Memo out in a few days outlining the new features of the site.

PAUL'S PURPOSE AND WORK

In the meantime, the last few weeks we have studied Paul's life and purpose.  Paul's purpose was to bring the gospel of Christ to the Gentile world.  We know that because his "call" on the Damascus road has a prominent place in the book of Acts.  In fact, Paul referred to his purpose in each of his letters (see if you can find them if you’re interested), usually relating his purpose to an Old Testament passage. When Paul talked about himself, he referred to his purpose, yet that purpose wasn't his occupation.

To earn a living, Paul made tents.  Yet Paul never talked or wrote about his occupation.  The only way we know that Paul made tents was that Luke wrote about it in the book of Acts.  Don't you find it interesting that Paul never referred to making tents?  That was what he did, but it wasn't who he was.  He was an apostle to the Gentiles and that is what got the choice place in his heart, time, efforts and writings.  (Paul returned the favor.  Nowhere did Luke ever mention that he was a doctor; Paul told us that in Colossians 4:14.  Obviously Luke learned from his mentor the difference between purpose and occupation.)

WHO ARE YOU?

I am not asking what you do. You may sell insurance, but who are you?  You may also be a missionary to some people group, while insurance pays the bills.  When people ask you what you do, like I just did, how do you respond?  Do you say that you're an insurance salesperson or a missionary?  If you answer the salesperson, then you are defining yourself by what you do.  If you say missionary, you are focusing on purpose and not on what buys your food. You may only get to the mission field once a year on your vacation time, but the other weeks you're praying and working for that mission.  You don't have to quit your occupation to embrace your purpose.  You may simply need to distinguish between the two.

Os Guinness wrote the following paragraph in his book, Entrepreneurs of Life (since he uses the words "calling" and "vocation" instead of purpose, I have taken the liberty of inserting the word "purpose" where appropriate):

Calling [purpose] helps us finish [our lives] well because it prevents us from confusing the termination of our occupations with the termination of our vocations [purpose].  If we ever limit our calling [purpose] to what we do, and that task is taken away from us--we suddenly find ourselves unemployed, retired, or pronounced terminally ill--then we are tempted to depression and doubt.  What has happened?  We have let our occupation become so intertwined with our vocation [purpose] that losing the occupation means losing the sense of vocation [purpose] too.

Have you either not found or lost your sense of purpose?  Then perhaps you have confused the difference between what you do and who you are (parents and spouses included).  I would suggest you take this week to reflect on this important distinction.  No longer be content to define your life in terms of what you do but rather who you are.  It will make all the difference in the world.  Have a great week!

*********************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, June 25 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 Seven: Purpose in the Military

Your purpose can be applied to any area of life, as you will learn when you join John Stanko and his special guest, Dr. Jim Coy, on the next edition of Your PurposeQuest.  Dr. Coy is an author, speaker and leader who has developed a outreach to military personnel, having served as a doctor in the U.S. Army.  Join John and Dr. Coy as they discuss purpose from the unique perspective of serving in the military and what Dr. Coy is doing today to further his own PurposeQuest. 

Monday Memo 353: Visions of Angels

You should have a purpose hero or two, models whom you can study to encourage you along your PurposeQuest.  I have a few, some whom are mentioned in the Bible, some not.  One purpose hero in the Bible is the Apostle Paul. Since I mention him so often in these Memos, I thought I would write about him for the next three or four weeks. 

Paul was a man who had quite a few supernatural encounters in his ministry.  I find this interesting because so many today also seek to have such encounters with angels or, better yet, the presence of the Lord.  Did you know, however, that each one of Paul's supernatural meetings had a common purpose?  They did and to find out what that purpose was, you will have to read on.

COMMON THEME

I can find seven passages where the Lord appeared and spoke to Paul:

1. Acts 9:1-9-- on the Damascus Road, where Saul met Jesus face-to-face.
2. Acts 13:1-3 -- in Antioch where the Holy Spirit set Barnabas and Saul apart for missionary work
3. Acts 16:9-10-- a man calling Paul to Macedonia
4. Acts 18:9-11-- in Corinth, urging Paul to preach without fear
5. Acts 22:17-- while Paul was praying in the Temple
6. Acts 23:11 -- while Paul was held prisoner in Jerusalem
7. Acts 27:24-- while Paul was in the ship doomed to sink on his way to Rome

Can you see the common thread through all of these heavenly appearances?  Let me help you out.  Each one of these encounters took place to direct or encourage Paul in his purpose.  Not once did the Lord appear to Paul simply for the sake of appearing to Him.  As far as we know, the Lord did not appear to Paul to tell him He loved him.  Not once did He come to give Paul a supernatural experience where Paul clucked, crowed, barked or fainted.

In all seven instances, the Lord appeared for a purpose, not for an experience. 

SO WHAT?

I am not against anyone having a spiritual experience.  I have never spoken against or condemned some of the bizarre encounters that people claim to have had (and probably did have) with the Lord in the last ten years.  I am not ready to conclude that the Lord will only reveal Himself to people, as He did with Paul, for the purpose of purpose. 

I am ready to say, however, that some people are seeking for an encounter with the Lord for purely selfish reasons.  They want the experience but they want to separate it from any instructions that the Lord chooses to impart.  If the Lord chose to reveal Himself to Paul so dramatically and regularly to keep Paul focused on his purpose, I would think He would do the same with you. 

When is the last time you had a purpose encounter with the Lord?  What did He say or show you? What difference did it make in your life? Are you seeking the presence of God simply for the experience or for some direction in purpose? 

God wants you to know and fulfill your purpose more than you do.  He has given you something to do and wants you to know what it is.  Paul's life demonstrated the means that the Lord can use to encourage men and women of purpose.  I hope you are one who is seeking God's face and presence not so you can collect spiritual stories but rather to gain insight and encouragement into the purpose that God has for you.  Have a great week!

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

*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, June 25 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 Six: Purpose in the Third World

Is purpose a concept only at home in a Western culture?  Is purpose relevant in Africa and for Africans?  Join John Stanko and his special guest, Mrs. Kentice Tikolo, from Nairobi, Kenya, as they discuss these questions and other relevant purpose topics.  Kentice is the coordinator for PurposeQuest in Kenya and also works for the Kenya Wildlife Service, and has a host of fascinating purpose stories that you won’t want to miss.

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.

*******************************************************
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.   

Monday Memo 351: Why So Surprised?

I have been home now since May 13, a personal record for this century.  I am thoroughly enjoying my time and have plenty of work to do.  My new website should be up soon and very soon, and I will make sure you are alerted to the launch.  It will be worth the wait.

IT'S A GHOST!

I am always surprised when people are surprised that they have the mind of the Lord on certain matters, especially where purpose is concerned.  We often act like the disciples in Acts 12.  Peter was in prison and the church was interceding for his safety.  An angel came to release Peter and he immediately went to the house where he knew the saints would be praying.  I'll let Luke tell you what happened in his own words:

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." (Acts 12:14-15).

Another translation says that they thought it was Peter's ghost.  They were praying but they never really expected their prayers to be answered, at least not in the way that they were.  So they dismissed the answer as some spiritual quirk, telling the messenger of the good news that she didn't really understand what she had heard.

ASK AND DON'T DOUBT

James was clear about how to get an answer from God:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:5-8).

When you ask for wisdom, God will give it to you.  There is only one catch: you cannot doubt or you will receive nothing. So if you are asking God to reveal your purpose, if you are seeking Him concerning some idea you have (as to whether or not you should proceed), then why don't you believe that you have your answer?

Let's put it another way.  The Holy Spirit lives in you, the same Spirit who raised Jesus back to life.  He came to give you power to live the life that God want you to live.  Part of that involves giving you the mind of Christ. So if you have the mind of Christ (and you do), then why are you so surprised?  Why is that so hard to accept? Yet it is and, what's more, we can do just what the disciples did when our prayer is answered: We can dismiss it as a spiritual quirk or not recognize the day of its coming.

HE WILL CAUSE YOUR THOUGHTS. . .

I have quoted Proverbs 16:3 from the Amplified Version in many seminars and I will leave you with it as a parting thought today.  It reads,

Roll your works upon the Lord, commit and trust them wholly to Him, and He will cause your thoughts to be agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.

Do you have any good ideas that you have dismissed as "ghosts"?  Do you have a recurring dream or vision that you have tried to bury, only to have it come back again and again. If so, stop fighting it (or them) and take action.  If the Spirit came to give you the mind of Christ, why are you so surprised that you have it?  Have a great week.

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

*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 11 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 will air 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 Four: How To Use a Business to Fund Your Vision!

Do you want to start a business, but use that business to help you do something else?  Do you have a desire to make a difference not just in your city, but in the world? If so, then join John Stanko and his special guest, Bruce Binkley a businessman and part-time missionary from Dallas, Texas, as they discuss Bruce’s business and how it helps him meet needs around the world.

Monday Memo 350: You Are The Problem

You may be the greatest obstacle you face in your PurposeQuest.  It's not the economy, your education, how much money you have, or your age. The problem isn't any of those things.  The problem is you.  More specifically, it's the way you think.

What's more, you are probably trying to change yourself while holding on to old thought patterns, expecting different results while you think the same thoughts.  You are seeking a personal transformation, and you are focusing on changing your habits, knowledge, spiritual disciplines or place of employment.  If you are the problem, then wherever you go and whatever you do, you take you with you, along with your old habits of thought.  When that happens, even if you pray or read the Bible more, you won't see any difference in your life.

You need to change your mind if you are going to change yourself.  It's that simple, but that difficult.

SEND THEM HOME

In Matthew 14, Jesus had taught a large crowd of people in a remote place:

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat" (Matthew 14:15-16).

What was the problem here?  Was it the lateness of the hour?  Was it the lack of food that the disciples had?  Was it that the crowd, in their zeal to follow Jesus, had not given enough thought about what they would eat? 

The problem was this:  The disciples were thinking too small and, consequently, only saw one option available to them at that moment.  They suggested that Jesus dismiss the meeting and send the people home.  Jesus had another idea and that was to take what the disciples had, bless it and then feed the people with that.  We know that this is what He did and the crowd of 5,000 plus women and children were fed with twelve baskets of leftovers.  When you think too small, you do what the disciples to do:  you send your opportunities away because you don't think you have what it takes to seize the moment.

WE STILL CAN'T DO IT

So the disciples learned their lesson, right?  Wrong!  In the very next chapter, they complained to Jesus that there was no way they could feed a smaller crowd in a similar situation (see Matthew 15:29-39).  Jesus did the same thing He did in Matthew 14 and fed the crowd with what the disciples had.  The disciples were still stuck in old patterns of thinking and that limited their creativity and ability to solve the problem that was before them.

How about you?  Are you any different than those early disciples?  The challenge isn't what you have and don't have.  It's how you think about what you have, it's how you think about who you are.  If you don't think you can, then you won't.  What's more, you won't even try.  If you think you can or if you think God can through and with you, then God will plant new ideas and thoughts just like He did with the disciples when He said, "You give them something to eat."

Paul was clear.  If you are going to be transformed, you must do so by renewing your mind (see Romans 12:1-2).  That won't just happen, however, unless you take steps to make it happen.  You must learn to be ruthless with your old thoughts that have gotten you nowhere and replace them with thoughts that can take you somewhere, thoughts full of faith and possibilities, not thoughts full of defeat and pessimism.

We will continue this discussion next week, but for this week, I want you to become aware -- aware of what you are thinking.  Listen to yourself think; listen to what you say.  Try to be more conscious of how you are limiting yourself, or how you are limiting what God can do with your loaves and fishes.  Then next week we will look at what to do so that your thinking will no longer be the problem but the solution to your lack of progress in your PurposeQuest.  Have a great week!
*****************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the third broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 4 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 will air every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first two 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 Three: Stop Doing What You Love. . . So You Can Do What You Love

Do you enjoy what you are doing, but don’t feel like you are making the impact you would like to make?  Do you see the problems in the world and wish you could make more of a difference?  If so, then join John Stanko and his special guest, Bill Hobbs, director or Urban Youth Impact in West Palm Beach, Florida as they discuss Bill’s “longest drive” – his journey from professional golf to inner city youth work.