When you pursue purpose, it is not only what you do, but who you do it with and where it is done. The latter is what one pastor called 'geographic righteousness.' He said it's impossible to be righteous in one city when God wants you in another, no matter how many good things you are doing in that first city. If God wants you in Africa, you can't stay in the UK and claim to be in God's will.
Many people say something like this: "Lord, I will do whatever You want me to do, as long as it is in this country, in this region, in this city, in this territory, in this neighborhood, on this street, in this house, and during these times. But Lord, You know I am completely Yours!"
I knew a woman one time who came to Africa and sang a song. The people gave her a standing ovation. When she came home, her church did not even want her to sing and she was offended. When she asked me what I thought, I responded, "When you got that standing ovation in Africa, God was trying to show you where He wanted you to sing. I am not saying you have to move there, but I do think you need to find ways to sing there more often." I suppose that is another example of what I am calling geographic righteousness.
Paul desperately wanted to minister to his people the Jews, but God sent him away to the Gentiles. Jonah wanted to get away from Nineveh, but God had a whale redirect him to God's appointed destination. Even Jesus came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and it was only later that His disciples took His message to the Gentiles.
This concept of proper placement in order to fulfill purpose does not mean you have to leave your country. Most will not. It may mean, however, that you have to venture outside your comfort zone to visit people in places where you would not ordinarily go. God may send you to work with folks who don't look or talk like you of a different race or culture, right in your own home town! You can't pick and choose where you will fulfill your purpose. God not only assigns purpose, but also the spheres and places where you will be most effective.
As I write this, I am in Kenya with 15 others. I am in Kenya because God opened a door for purpose here and I want to share it with others. My placement for these two weeks is here, and the time has been so fruitful and rewarding - both for the others and me. Where does God want you to function best? Do you know? If not, then perhaps it's time that you asked Him or paid attention to the places where your purpose flows best and where you are happiest and most effective. For me, this week again is in Kenya and for that, I thank God. I would not miss this for the world. Have a blessed week!
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KENYA: Even though I am in Kenya, there is still time to give and the needs are great. I can draw the money out via ATM here, so please follow your heart and give before I leave Kenya on February 17. You can give using my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. You can also follow my travel blog while I am here to see that we are putting your contributions to good use.
PURPOSECOACH: I had such a good response to my revived PurposeCoach program that I am extending the special price of $99 for the program through February 28. The program includes some listening, some reading and some connecting time with me and can now be done from anywhere in the world, since everything is digitized and online. You can pay for your PurposeCoach Program via Paypal or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8881, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0881. Make the investment in your life today. I am attaching a FAQ sheet concerning PurposeCoach, along with an enrollment application, below. Because I have digitized everything, you can enroll no matter where your geographic righteousness is - in other words, no matter where you live.
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