I was getting ready to teach a class this past week, and one of the students brought in a cake and snacks because it was her birthday. When I said, "You invited yourself to the party," it reminded me on a Monday Memo I wrote five years ago titled, "Invite Yourself to the Party." I knew right away it fit in with our current theme, which is "Put Me In, Coach." Let me explain with examples from my own life.
For years, I would be a guest on media shows, after which the host would rave about how well the show went, promising to have me back on the show soon. In almost every instance, I was never invited back. Now, either they were lying that the show went well (I concurred with their assessment that it did go well) or they had no intention of asking me back (which meant they were lying), or they just did not follow through (sincere but inefficient). Whatever the reason, I decided after so many disappointments to invited myself to the party: I sponsored my own weekly show on two AM stations for six years, and I hosted hundreds of blog radio shows. I started a Vimeo channel and have many video shows posted there and on Facebook.
My point is that I was no longer content to be invited to the party. Just like my student, I threw my own party.
A CALL TO PURPOSE
I ran across this commentary I wrote eight years ago on Matthew 10:1-4. First, here is that passage, and then my comments:
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
When God calls you to a purpose, He calls you by name and He calls you to Himself. It isn’t just a task, it’s a unique relationship with Him. I have found that when I function in my purpose, God provides for me and takes care of all I need to fulfill my purpose. He speaks to me, and my relationship with Him is somehow closer and more intimate when I am going about my purpose.
In Matthew, Jesus called twelve men to Himself and gave them authority. That was a question the Jews always asked Jesus; “By whose authority do You do these things?” Jesus did the things He did in the authority of His purpose. That is all the authority you need as well, for your purpose is your assignment from heavenly headquarters. When you move in your purpose, you don’t need an invitation to the party, so to speak. You invite yourself. Someone else said that you nominate yourself for the job.
AUTHORITY
If your purpose is to help the poor, you don’t need anyone to invite you to do so. You show up where the poor are and start helping them. I was reflecting on this issue of authority the other day, and came up with nine aspects of purpose that give you the authority to do whatever it is God wants you to do. Here they are:
- The authority of results – your purpose helps you bear fruit. No one can question your authority when you can show them the fruit of your labors.
- The authority of clarity – your purpose is a clear, concise statement of what you are on earth to do. People will follow and respond to you because you are direct, clear, and focused.
- The authority of knowledge – your purpose enables and even drives you to be skilled at what you do. You will have more insight and knowledge about your sphere of purpose than others.
- The authority of calling – God assigned your purpose and wants you to fulfill it even more than you do. He will open doors and create opportunities for you to succeed.
- The authority of integrity – your purpose causes you to live by your values, the things that are most important to you. You don’t want to undermine your purpose, so you have added incentive to be an honest person of your word.
- The authority of courage – your purpose makes you a leader where you function. You face your fears because your purpose is more important than you are. There are people waiting to benefit from what you do and who you are, so you press through obstacles to be there for them.
- The authority of success – your purpose gives you endurance to press through the barriers and endure long periods of suffering and frequent setbacks. You don’t only achieve short-term results; you do so over a long period of time, which constitutes some measure of success
- The authority of humility – you know your source of strength, which is God Himself. You acknowledge your source, but you don’t deny that you are good at what you do because you know God helps you produce results.
- The authority of honesty – you do not engage in “false humility” (denying what you can do). You know and face your limitations and weaknesses with openness and transparency, and you do the same with your strengths.
When you have a purpose, you have all the authority you need to act. If you can't find a partner to help, you go it alone and wait for a partner to find you. If that doesn't happen, you then be content with the fact that you have the most important partner of all, the Lord Himself, and together you will attend a purpose party that will impact the lives of others and enrich your own. Thanks for reading, and have a purposeful week!
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