The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Memo 1026: Purpose or Work - Or Both?

I sat counseling a woman one time who was in dire financial straits. She is talented in one area of work but felt like it wasn't
something that glorified God. At the same time, she knew her purpose but didn't know how she could make a living by fulfilling it. We talked for about an hour as I tried to help her understand the difference between her purpose and an occupation. Since she was desperate for money, she was all ears and I feel like she left with a clearer distinction between the two and how God often positions them. Perhaps you have the same need.

Paul's purpose was to bring the gospel of Christ to the Gentile world. We know this 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, 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 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's what got the choice place in his heart, time, efforts, and writings. (Paul returned the favor. Nowhere did Luke mention 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'm not asking what you do. You may sell insurance or work as a telemarketer, but who are you? You may be a missionary to some people group or a comforter of children or the elderly, while insurance or telemarketing pays the bills. When people ask you what you do, like I just did, how do you respond? Do you say you're an insurance salesperson or a missionary? A telemarketer or a comforter? If you answer the salesperson, then you're defining yourself by what you do. If you say missionary or comforter, you're focusing on purpose, the essence of who you are, and not on the role God uses to pay for your food. You may only get to the mission field once a year or the old age home once a week, but the other weeks you're praying and working to fund your purpose like Paul did when he made tents. You don't have to quit your occupation to embrace your purpose. You may simply need to distinguish between the two and hold the proper one in a place of preeminence.

What's more, God can choose to pay you from some means other than your purpose activities. Your purpose could be to counsel people but your job pays the bills so you can offer your counseling free of charge. To take this even further, God can have you work in your purpose, not work another job, and trust Him to provide for you as He sees fit—which happened to Paul when other churches sent an offering to support him while he was out in his mission field. The main point in all this is that God wants you to focus on purpose. if your purpose and job are one and the same, then that's ideal, but if they aren't, as in Paul's case, then you save the best of who you are for your purpose, understanding that you don't work to make money (God promises to provide). You work to express and extend God's kingdom through every aspect of your life to the world around you.

This plays out in my own life through my relationship with social media. I'm active on many social media platforms because my purpose is to write. I don't get paid for what I post and write in most cases. I do it because it's an important part of who I am. God provides for me in other ways, and I understand it's my job to write and broadcast. God's job is to provide for me as He promised. I do His will, He confirms His will through His provision, and many people are impacted every day, not because I'm paid to reach them but because I'm called to do so. The same would hold true for my work in Kenya.

OCCUPATION VS. PURPOSE

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; your role is that of a spouse or parent; your purpose is who you are). I suggest you take this week to reflect on this important distinction. No longer be content to define your life in terms of what you get paid to do but rather by who you are. Oh, and by the way, I sat and counseled with the woman I mentioned at the beginning free of charge because it's part of my purpose, not my job. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1025: A Wolf for Christ

We have looked at King Saul the last few weeks but this week I want to look at one of his descendants by the same name, which is the man we know as the Apostle Paul. King Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, the same tribe as the apostle. It's interesting that Paul's parents gave their son the name Saul despite Saul's reputation as a king. Obviously they identified closely with their heritage and thus overlooked the negative connotations. Paul himself wrote, "I say then, Has God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin" (Romans 11:1). What was it about Benjamin that made Paul's family so proud of its legacy? Let's try to determine that and the lessons for us in this week's Memo.

BENJAMIN

Benjamin was the second son born to Jacob and his beloved wife Rachel. He was the youngest of all Jacob's sons and full brother to Joseph, whose longing to see him was an important part of Joseph's drama with his brothers when they met in Egypt. Much later in Israel's history, when the ten tribes rebelled against Solomon's son, it is reported, "When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered Judah and Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam" (1 2 Chronicles 11:1). Only Judah and Benjamin had remained loyal to David's throne while the other ten tribes broke off to form Israel.

The tribe of Benjamin further distinguished itself when one of its own, Mordecai, saved his people by becoming the protector of and advisor to Esther: "Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon" (Esther 2:5-6). I would assume if Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin, then Esther was as well. The tribe certainly had a rich and noble history.

Now consider the effort it took for the apostle's family to be able to trace their heritage with certainty back to Benjamin, for there had been wars, upheaval, exiles, and more wars in the centuries between them and Benjamin's life. Yet the tribal historians worked diligently to identify and protect the family trees and lineage associated with their people. Also, there was an important prophecy given to Benjamin of which the family was aware. It would seem that this word was fulfilled centuries later in the life of the apostle which superseded all ethnic origins or identity and became the purpose compass the apostle followed.

A PROPHESY

When Jacob was on his deathbed, he prayed for and prophesied over each of his sons, saying this about his son Benjamin: "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder" (Genesis 49:27). That is an odd word to give the head of a tribe but could it have been Jacob looking forward to see the purpose of Benjamin's descendant, Paul, who had the greatest impact on the early church next to Jesus? Paul was indeed a ravenous "wolf," devouring Scripture, learning the ways of his people, and staying true to his tribal heritage. Yet when Jesus apprehended Saul for his purpose, Saul adjusted his tribal name from Saul to Paul to divide the spoils of his revelation and purpose with the Gentiles. He became ravenous for Jesus and wrote this about his past:

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him (Philippians 3:4-9).

The point is that Saul had a purpose in Christ and the magnificence of his heritage or his family's standing or his name could not be allowed to interfere with his purpose of being a wolf for Christ—finding and dividing the spoils of revelation and purpose for and with God's Gentile people. And the same is true for you. You cannot allow your ethnicity, race, denominational history, political affiliations, family ties, birth order, family business, family expectations, or family traditions to interfere with the will of God for your life. Perhaps this is why Jesus stated it so strongly: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

What's more, as we just learned, God had identified the apostle's purpose long before he was born as spoken through Jacob and the same is true for you. He has assigned your purpose before the foundation of the world. Now it's your job to see that nothing interferes with this most sacred task that has been entrusted to you to fulfill as no one in the history of the world has been able to do quite like you. Have a blessed week!

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ISRAEL TRIP 2022: My next trip to Israel and Jordan is March 2022 and people are signing up every week. Therefore, the time for you to sign up for the trip is now. Check out the info on this link, pay your deposit, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Click on the picture to see group that went with me in 2018 and then visualize yourself in the 2022 picture. Next year in Jerusalem! This trip will change the way you pray, read the Bible, and think about the nation and people of Israel.

Memo 1024: Prophesy

We started to look at King Saul's life last week, beginning with his attempt to hide on his coronation day. This act represented a cowardly reluctance on his part to accept God's clearly revealed purpose for his life, which is all the more surprising when we learn what happened right before Saul went into hiding:

When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1 Samuel 10:10-11).

The Spirit had such a strong presence in Saul's life that he began to prophesy, which seems like a bizarre manifestation until we give it more thought and put it into a full biblical context. Let's spend some time doing that in this week's Memo.

PROPHECY

There are many interpretations of prophecy and some even argue whether or not it is a practice still relevant for and active in the church today. For the sake of our discussion, I am going to assume that it is relevant and then define prophecy as "understanding what God is saying or doing, and then helping others comprehend the implications of that for their lives." I know it's simplistic but bear with me for now. For example, I began teaching and speaking on finding one's God-assigned purpose in 1991. In a sense, that was a prophecy to those who heard me and accepted the veracity of what I was teaching. It was a "word from the Lord" and after that I devoted myself to helping listeners be clear as to their purpose, its implications, and a resulting action plan.

If we accept my definition, then Saul had insight from the Spirit as to what God was doing among His people by appointing Saul. Saul was their king but God was their ultimate ruler with Saul serving under His oversight and direction. However, even though Saul had a powerful encounter with the Spirit, he was not interested in helping God's people. He fell back into a selfish, self-centered perspective that at first tried to avoid the power of leadership but ultimately found him clinging to his power and position long after God had said, "Enough!" We may shake our heads when we read that Saul rejected God's purpose, which included serving others with the power God gave him, but let's be careful not to point an accusing finger at him while we do the same.

PROPHESY

Lest you be confused, prophecy is a noun and prophesy is a verb, the action which produces a prophecy. Many centuries later, Paul had this to say to the Corinthian church about prophecy and the need to prophesy:

• Prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers (1 Corinthians 14:22).
  
• Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop^. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged (1 Corinthians 14:29-31).
  
• Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:39).
  

However you choose to define prophecy, Paul wrote that we should be "eager" to do so. What exactly should we be eager to do? We should be eager to say something that will build up others. That means we should be looking for ways to share what we see, what we know, and who we are with others for their benefit. Today, most churches do not have a time for people to share what they are learning from the Lord, which is why small groups and social media are so important. It is in those settings that we can let the Spirit flow through us to others. It is possible, however, to have the same attitude Saul had that did not look for how his spiritual encounters could be used to benefit others.

As I close, I ask you one question: Are you eager to prophesy? If you are, then you are actively looking to speak for the benefit of others, not acting like you are insignificant, fearful to "get ahead of the Lord" by saying or doing too much. Are you using your life as a model and example for others to follow? That means you have to sharing your life, not hiding in a privacy cave of your own making. How can you do too much to help other people? How can you express too much purpose if it is indeed God's will for your life?

The bottom line is Saul was not eager to prophesy or do anything else for that matter that would benefit anyone else. He protected himself and his privacy even though God had clearly revealed He wanted to use him to lead. Don't fall into that mindset of being nonchalant toward the things God shows you, but rather be active in seeking a platform where God can speak through you, prophesy through you even, for the good and edification of others. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1023: Hiding in Your Baggage

I often ask audiences, "Who is the most charismatic king in the Old Testament?" By that, I mean who had the most miraculous and unusual spiritual confirmation of his call to leadership? Most people answer David but that is not the answer I am looking for. The answer is actually David's father-in-law, King Saul. We first meet Saul when he was looking for his family's donkeys and connects with the prophet Samuel (see 1 Samuel 9). From that encounter, we read of a number of supernatural events and confirmations, all indicating that Saul was to become Israel's requested leader. Let's spend a few weeks examining some stories in Saul's life to help us learn what to do and not to do when God chooses us to fulfill His and our assigned purpose.

"WHAT'S UP?"

We won't look at all the stories leading up to Saul's coronation, but there is one aspect of his story that stands out. After Saul met Samuel and after many unusual spiritual events took place to indicate Saul was to be the king, he returned home. Then we read,

Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?” “Looking for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship (1 Samuel 10:14-16).

I find it unusual that after Saul met the most famous prophet in Israel and after he had been confronted with the fact that he was to be king and after God had "changed his heart" and after Saul prophesied with the prophets, he had no testimony. He had nothing to say. When his uncle in essence asked him, "What's up with you?" Saul did not report any of those events to his uncle. I find that odd. I would have told anyone who asked what God was doing in my life and that I was about to be king. Yet Saul said nothing. Could it have been humility? Perhaps. Or could it have been disinterest and reluctance to take the high position God had given him? His next actions answer this question.

HIDING IN THE BAGGAGE

We read,

When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.” They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” (1 Samuel 10:20-24).

When Saul's big day came, he hid himself and no one knew where he was—except the Lord who "ratted" him out. The people didn't seem to mind, so they went to where Saul was and brought him to his own party where he was the guest of honor. Saul stood "head and shoulders" above his people, but he didn't stand to the height got had given him. Instead, he tried to shrink so he would be invisible. Perhaps he was afraid or maybe he just didn't want the job God had given him. Whatever it was, he went hiding among his baggage, assuming he was safe from the long arm of the Lord.

How about you? Are you hiding in the baggage of your life? Perhaps it's your past, fearful or maybe even relieved that your past disqualifies you (or so you think) from the call God has on your life. Are you hiding in your emotional baggage, excusing yourself because of your tender, weakened, or wounded condition? Maybe it's the baggage of all your responsibilities, convinced that your job, family responsibilities, financial instability, or age (young or old) preclude your involvement in anything beyond your current duties? Have you actually piled up a lot of baggage, maybe even subconsciously, to bolster your fear that you are inadequate and prevent your taking on more duties?

The good news of course is that God is more than adequate and His grace may even come find you in the baggage car of your life train. The problem is that if you don't go willingly and allow God to change you, you will continue to sabotage your own success along the way just like King Saul did. Perhaps you simply need to surrender like Jesus' mother did when she told the angel after she asked how she could possibly be pregnant: "'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled'" (Luke 1:38). This week, ask God to show you if you are hiding in your baggage, and then give Him permission to bring you out so you can attend your own coronation as He installs you as His representative before a few or many to fulfill your purpose and express your creativity. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1020: Run Like a Deer

I have been on vacation this past week in the American West and had the opportunity to see lots of wildlife, including many deer. This made me think of Habakkuk 3:19: "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights." The context for this verse is that the prophet was waiting for Judah's enemies to invade as God had promised in response for Judah's waywardness:

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights (Habakkuk 3:11-19 emphasis added).

Habakkuk was physically weak from the thought of the impending invasion. What's more, he knew what would happen when the invasion came: Food would be short, there would be suffering ,and ultimately, the invaders would be victorious. Despite the circumstances, however, Habakkuk, like Nehemiah after him, would proclaim that the Lord was his strength. Because of that reality, Habakkuk likened his condition in the Lord to that of a deer.

What do we know about a deer? They are fast and can leap high into the air with graceful, elegant, effortless movement. Those characteristics are in deer because that is who God created them to be. That image of a deer bounding across a field or in the woods should be etched in your mind as an image of how you and I should be when we put our faith in God. Earlier in his book, Habakkuk had included a phrase that became instrumental in New Testament teaching: “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4 NASB).

God has created you to do great things that are not dependent on the circumstances in which you find yourself. God empowers you to run and tread on the heights if you live by faith. Does that describe your life? Are you running? Are you jumping? Is the Sovereign Lord your strength that empowers you to do more than you thought you could do, and endure more difficulties than you imagined? Can you prosper and be productive, even in down times of famine and lack?

The Lord had directed the prophet to write down what the Lord was going to show him, and that is good advice for you as well this week. "Then the Lord answered me and said, 'Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay'" (Habakkuk 2:2-3 NASB).

Have your journal ready to record the vision God will give you concerning your life and purpose, and then have faith. Your faith with activate your deer-like qualities, and you will be ready to bound off into a new aspects of a purposeful life full of goals and creativity, leading to wonderful results that will glorify God and inspire you to climb to even greater faith and purpose heights. As you consider this deer image that God included in Habakkuk, I know that you will have a great week!

Memo 1019: Living Water

You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well as told in John 4. You may want to read the story again before you proceed with this Memo, for we are going to talk about how you can find and benefit from the living waters that Jesus mentioned to the woman in the story. Once you have read John 4, then come back to read what I have to say.

A RELIGIOUS DEBATE

The woman kept trying to engage Jesus in a religious debate about the most appropriate mountain upon which Jews and Samaritans should worship. Jesus was trying to teach her that worship was not about geography but rather about a person, specifically His person. They went back and forth talking about worship and water, and then Jesus made an offer that intrigued the woman:

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water [from the well the woman had come to draw from] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14 comment added).

The woman decided to take Jesus up on His offer and responded, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water" (John 4:15). What I had never noticed was how Jesus fulfilled her request through His next comment. He basically said to her, "You want this water? Are you sure you want this water? If you want this water, then go get your husband" (a paraphrase of John 4:16).

THE WATER

What was the water Jesus was offering? It was an honest relationship with God where the woman could acknowledge her sins and when she did, she would then receive the living water of a relationship with Jesus. Up to that point in their conversation, the woman had wanted to talk about religious things, thinking that was what God would want from her. Instead, Jesus confronted her with her sins of the past and present, and that was the water He promised to give her and others like her: honesty and forgiveness.

If you want that same living water, you must come to God as you are, not as you think He wants you to be or who you are pretending to be. This woman was trying to present herself as a source of theological insight instead of the mess that she truly was. When she confronted her mess, it did not disqualify her from having a relationship with God; it actually qualified her. Her source of life was not in the correct mountain for worship, but an open and honest relationship with God.

When the woman understood that, she went home and got as many people as she could find to come and meet Jesus. She did not take them to the mountain; she took them to the Maker of the mountain who had "told me everything I ever did" (John 4:39b). She saw her connection to God was honesty, not correct doctrine. Her honesty led her to the correct doctrine in the person of her Forgiver and Savior.

Where are you telling God what you think He wants to hear? What religious debate have you entered into that is not a source of life? This woman found her purpose (to evangelize) when she faced the reality of who she was, then who God was (and is). The key to finding your purpose may be the same way, for living water is not found in a place (a mountain or a well) but through honesty with God. Have a blessed week!

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ISRAEL TRIP 2022: My next trip to Israel and Jordan is March 2022. The time to sign up for the trip is now. Check out the info on this link, pay your deposit, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Click on the picture to see group that went with me in 2018 and then visualize yourself in the 2022 picture. Next year in Jerusalem! This trip will change the way you pray, read the Bible, and think about the nation and people of Israel.

Memo 983: Immanuel, God With Us

Before we put the holidays completely behind us, I want to make a few observations about the significance of John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." In a sense, God endorsed humanity as the crown of His creation when He willingly took on human form so we could behold His essence in a manner we could comprehend. This indicates that God is more comfortable with our humanity than we often are, wishing to change less about us than we are eager to change about ourselves.

The message of Christmas is that God is with us, as Matthew explained in his gospel when he quoted from Isaiah 7: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) (Matthew 1:23). Let's consider some other implications of what this concept of the Incarnation (which means the Word made flesh) represents for us as we pursue purpose and productivity.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

When God endorsed humanity by gracing it with His presence, He re-emphasized what He had said in the beginning: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). That meant all the activities of His humanity were also good, and that included sleep, work, eating, recreation, procreation, teamwork, communication, purpose, and creativity. When Adam and Eve sinned, those activities remained intact and were still good, but would constantly be fouled by sin. I liken it to a computer that has a virus. The computer can usually still function, but its files and operating system are corrupted. Seldom is the computer discarded, but the virus must be found and eliminated. That is similar to the process of salvation and sanctification (the process of holiness). God did not discard mankind, but sent a remedy for the sin virus that has affected our operating system and files.

When Jesus was born, He came with the purpose of restoring things as they were meant to be in the Garden. Paul explained it this way: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:19-20, emphasis added). Jesus did not come primarily to get you into a church (although that is important); He came to restore to their original working order your purpose, creativity, and all the other human traits He put into all people. This will not be completed in this lifetime, but the process has begun, and as God said in Genesis, "it is very good."

IMPLICATIONS

Often we believe we need a complete overhaul before God can use us. That is not the case. Yes, you need your computer system upgraded and your files cleansed, but the essence of who you are is still God's idea. Your personality, gifts, thought process, likes, preferences, dislikes, and limitations are a direct result of who God made you to be. God created you with your love for organization or your hatred for details. He made You an introvert or extrovert. He gave you your impatience for injustice or patience for the elderly. You were created not to be an end unto yourself, but were made to function best in a team where you can contribute who you are and rely on others for who you are not—with God in the midst of us all.

As I mentioned at the beginning, God is less interested in changing some things in me than I am. He has used my love of sports, my competitiveness, my writing gift, my lack of mercy, my love of travel, and my humor for His purpose and when I express them all, I am glorifying Him. When I try to change the essence of who I am, I am saying, "God, You made a mistake. You should have made me more like this or that." God knows best.

The message of Christmas as we move on from the holidays is that God is truly with us. He is not intimidated or offended by our mess or our humanity in its less attractive aspects. He is content to dwell with us, in fact He dwells in us, not after we get cleaned up but so He can facilitate the process. As you celebrate the birth of Christ and rejoice in who He is, spend time time rejoicing in who you are as well, for He came not because He tolerates you but because He celebrates you. If God is happy to live with you, shouldn't you be happy to live with yourself? Have a blessed week and a Happy New Year.

Memo 982: Daylight on the Night Shift

I continue with holiday Memos from the archives this week. As we close 2020 and prepare for 2021, I pray God's light will shine on you and your understanding of who you are and how important you are to God's purposeful plan. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and are enjoying happy holidays!

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I receive many requests every year asking how to find purpose. Many say they have "no idea" what their purpose is and ask me for help. While I respond as best I can, after all these years I know that I cannot help anyone see his or her purpose. I know the One who can, however, and how He does it is reminiscent of the story of the shepherds at Christmas, something I call daylight on the night shift. Read on to see what I mean.

THE NIGHT SHIFT

The shepherds in the Christmas story were working the night shift, doing what they and their ancestors had done for centuries. They went to work that night without any thought that anything extraordinary was about to happen. On the night Jesus was born, they were tending their flocks on the hillsides outside Bethlehem, minding their own business. Suddenly God sent them messengers, who brought great light to the night shift:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (Luke 2:8-16).

These shepherds were doing what they knew to do at that time in their life and God interrupted them with a special news report. This both scared and thrilled them. That's how it is when you find your life purpose. Often you are doing what you know to do at the time, usually a job or role that is less than fulfilling. Suddenly God, the Great Communicator, breaks into your conscious being and brings a message of purpose, of what He has always wanted you to do. That not only terrifies you but also gives you a desire to clarify and fulfill it.

That night the shepherds went to work like any other day. God spoke to them, however, and they were never the same. They started by sitting on a hillside in chilly weather; they ended by finding a great treasure in Bethlehem, a treasure that had not been revealed to anyone else but them.

YOUR PURPOSEQUEST

Maybe you have been in a desperate search for your purpose and its expression. As we end this year, I suggest that you be encouraged as you remember the shepherds. Finding your purpose doesn't depend on your diligence; it depends on God's grace. Yes, you must search for your purpose, but only God can reveal it to you. It may be one cold, dark night when you go about your business like countless other nights. At that point, God may send His messenger and change your life forever. I don't know when or how He will do it, I just know He will.

Therefore, have faith and relax this holiday season. Keep asking God to help you understand who you are and what you were born to do and, after that, trust Him. You may even want to thank Him for your purpose whether or not you understand what it is. He wants you to fulfill your purpose more than you do. He will show you in the fullness of time, bring you daylight even if you are working the night shift. When He does, you will join with the shepherds as laborers who found more than business as usual one night when they went to work. May the God of purpose speak to you soon and may you have the courage to believe what He says! Happy New Year!

Memo 981: Down But Not Out

As we close out 2020, I trust you have had a purposeful and productive year despite the pandemic. Please enjoy this popular Monday Memo from my archives and apply the purpose lessons it contains to your life this holiday season and into 2021.

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I love spending time in the city of London. One year while I was there, I went to see Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Music Hall. What a wonderful way to enjoy a timeless masterpiece of music and Scripture in the city where it was composed. That visit sparked one of my Christmas favorites from the Monday Memo archives, which I present to you again this year.

MESSIAH

Messiah is considered by many to be the greatest musical feat in the history of mankind. Commissioned by a charity to produce a benefit concert, Handel wrote the Messiah in only 24 days. A musician once told me that someone trying to copy the Messiah could hardly do so in 24 days—that is the level of inspiration in which Handel operated when he wrote. Handel never left his house for those three weeks. His food trays remained untouched outside his office door.

A friend who visited him as he composed found him sobbing with intense emotions. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe what he had experienced, he quoted St. Paul, saying, “whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it, I know not.”

What’s even more impressive is that Handel wrote Messiah under extreme duress. The Church of England strongly criticized and opposed Handel and his previous Scriptural works put to music. At the age of 56, he had no money, often going out only at night so as to avoid his creditors. Handel performed what he considered his farewell concert and went home, fully expecting to end up in debtor’s prison. Yet the first performance of Messiah in Ireland in 1742 raised almost 400 British pounds for charity and freed 142 other men from debtor's prison. Of course, the rest is history as countless millions have enjoyed and marveled at his work for more than 250 years. Handel also went on from there to enjoy tremendous success and popularity in his latter years.

So what does this have to do with you? Perhaps you are a person of purpose but you feel frustrated, even defeated in your PurposeQuest. Maybe you find yourself down and out, discouraged and criticized, forgotten and a failure. Perhaps your finances are in poor shape. If any of those descriptions fit you, read on, for this Memo can restore your hope and faith. If that’s not where you are right now, read on anyway, for that will probably describe you one day as you pursue your purpose.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT

What should you do if you are in a season of “un-use,” disfavor, or inaction? As we close out 2020, I urge you to do three things if you are discouraged, disillusioned, or dismayed. And if you’re not, I urge you to find someone who is—you shouldn’t have to look too hard—and encourage them in their dark time.

1. Renew your faith in God. Your success and purpose expression don’t depend on your faithfulness; they depends on God’s. Remind yourself that God can do anything, and then rest in Him. Handel went home to retire and perhaps thought it was all over for him. Yet God helped him when a group found and commissioned him, and God can do the same for you.
2. Keep preparing for your day of success. I don’t think Handel went home to retire and abandon music. Don't you abandon your love either. Keep writing, reading, learning, and practicing. When the phone rings or the mail comes with your opportunity, you will be fresh and prepared, having worked in faith for the day of success.
3. Be generous. Handel wrote Messiah for charity, even though he was destitute. What can you do for someone else even though you are down and out? It is a good thing to do the unexpected in hard times, and giving something away definitely fits the bill when you are in need yourself. What better way to express your trust in God?

I’m grateful for God's help as 2020 comes to an end, a year like no other in recent history. I hope you can find reasons to be thankful as well. If it's been a tough year for you, thank God for His faithfulness that kept it from being worse. At least you’re still alive and purpose eligible! Then take this Memo to heart or share it with someone who needs it. I pray that as you do what I recommend above, you will see a purpose breakthrough in 2021. Thank you for allowing me to come into your life every week and thank you for being a fellow PurposeQuest-er. As I close this Memo, I wish you not only a great week, but a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

933: Immanuel, God with Us

During the holiday week, I want to make a few observations about the significance of John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." In a sense, God endorsed humanity as the crown of His creation when He willingly took on human form so we could behold His essence in a manner we could comprehend. This indicates that God is more comfortable with our humanity than we often are, wishing to change less about us than we are eager to change about ourselves.

The message of Christmas is that God is with us, as Matthew explained in his gospel when he quoted from Isaiah 7: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) (Matthew 1:23). Let's consider some other implications of what this concept of the Incarnation (which means the Word made flesh) represents for us as we pursue purpose and productivity.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

When God endorsed humanity by gracing it with His presence, He re-emphasized what He had said in the beginning: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). That meant all the activities of His humanity were also good, and that included sleep, work, eating, recreation, procreation, teamwork, communication, purpose, and creativity. When Adam and Eve sinned, those activities remained intact and were still good, but would constantly be fouled by sin. I liken it to a computer that has a virus. The computer can still function, but its files and operating system are corrupted. Seldom is the computer discarded, but the virus must be found and eliminated. That is similar to the process of salvation and sanctification (the process of holiness). God did not discard mankind, but sent a remedy for the sin virus that has affected our operating system and files.

When Jesus was born, He came with the purpose of restoring things as they were meant to be in the Garden. Paul explained it this way: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:19-20, emphasis added). Jesus did not come primarily to get you into a church (although that is important); He came to restore to their original working order your purpose, creativity, and all the other human traits He put into all people. This will not be completed in this lifetime, but the process has begun, and as God said in Genesis, "it is very good."

IMPLICATIONS

Often we believe that we need a complete overhaul before God can use us. That is not the case. Yes, you need your computer system upgraded and your files cleansed, but the essence of who you are is still God's idea. Your personality, gifts, thought process, likes, preferences, dislikes, and limitations are consistent with who God made you to be. God created you with your love for organization or your hatred for details. He made You an introvert or extrovert. He gave you your impatience for injustice or patience for the elderly. You were created not to be an end unto yourself, but were made to function best in a team where you can contribute who you are and rely on others for who you are not—with God in the midst of us all.

As I mentioned at the beginning, God is less interested in changing some things in me than I am. He has used my love of sports, my competitiveness, my writing gift, my lack of mercy, my love of travel, and my humor for His purpose and when I express them all, I am glorifying Him. When I try to change the essence of who I am, I am saying, "God, You made a mistake. You should have made me more like this or that." God knows best.

The message of Christmas is that God is truly with us. He is not intimidated or offended by our mess or our humanity in its less attractive aspects. He is content to dwell with us, in fact He dwells in us, not after we get cleaned up but so He can facilitate the process. As you celebrate the birth of Christ and rejoice in who He is, spend time time rejoicing in who you are as well, for He came not because He tolerates you but because He celebrates you. If God is happy to live with you, shouldn't you be happy to live with yourself? Have a blessed week and Happy New Year.

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MATCHING GRANT: Two generous donors issued a matching challenge grant, agreeing to contribute up to $3,000 to match donations up to that amount that are received by  December 31. I am calling this The Twelve Days of Christmas Challenge Grant and you can double your gift by giving toward this grant. If the Monday Memo has been a blessing to you, please consider a gift to help the children in Kenya this Christmas season. You can give through my website, via Facebook, or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you for helping the orphans and widows in Kenya and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!