INTRODUCTION:
It’s the 1930s and the depression is affecting families across America. A poor man by the name of E.L. Yates was barely making a living on his sheep farm in West Texas around Odessa and Midland. He was constantly worrying about how he could pay his bills and feed his family. Mr. Yates had about given up and was contemplating bankruptcy. He and his family would find some way to make a fresh start once the bank repossessed his farm.
One day a survey crew from an oil company came to him and asked for permission to drill for oil on his property. The contract stated that he was to receive every eighth barrel if any oil was found. At 1,115 feet they hit a gusher. The well produced 80,000 barrels of oil a day! Wells soon followed that could produce twice that capacity. Even thirty years later, government surveys showed wells with a capacity for 125,000 barrels a day. It proved to be one of the richest veins of oil ever found on the North American continent.
Perhaps you are here today living your life like Mr. Yates with untapped resources right beneath your feet. More than just dealing with financial hardship, life has got you down. You go through the motions day by day, but deep within your heart you are ready to quit. You’re weary and tired in need of some rest and a fresh start. Am I the only one who has found the routine of life to be draining? Do you have piles of unfinished projects around your house that you would just like to throw away and start over?
We need strength for daily living! As believers God has given us the unlimited recourses of His power. The Holy Spirit will empower us with greater energy than all the oil Mr. Yates has ever had pumped out of his poor sheep farm.
•Ephesians 3:16-19 (MsgB)
[16] I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— [17] that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, [18] you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! [19] Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
This is a prayer we need answered in our lives today—we need strengthened in our inner being! How many of you think this is a prayer God would want to answer? Absolutely! How will God answer our prayer for inner strength? He will do a work within our hearts.
What are the keys to spiritual renewal? How can we receive strength for daily living?
More than just keys or principles to live by, we have been looking at five one word answers to five basic questions. When answered properly these are five questions will rejuvenate our spirits through the power of God within us.
Like a round of Jeopardy here again are the five answers; IDENTITY, INTEGRITY, CAPACITY, TENACITY and DESTINY.
Identity answers the question “Who am I?” Your identity is not determined by what you do or how other people see you. The answer to the question “who am I?” is found in knowing WHOSE I AM. God establishes your identity! When you remember who you are in Christ, your identity strengthens you in your inner being.
The second way our strength is renewed is through our INTEGRITY. Integrity answers the question “Whose am I?” or another way to put it “Who controls how I live my life?” Your God given identity as a child of God establishes your integrity—whose are you? I am God’s, therefore the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and I will live my life to please God and not myself. You cannot live a holy life—a life of integrity—apart from your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Integrity is not worked into us by what we do—integrity comes from within us because of who we are.
Today we come to the third way God will strengthen us in our inner being—CAPACITY. Capacity answers the question, “Why am I here?”
You and I are human beings—I’m glad by the way we are not “human doings.” Our identity is not established by what we do—we have an identity based in who we are. We are made in the image of God, body, mind and spirit.
Too often those in the world try to achieve an identity and in turn their integrity through what they do. However, as believers our identity, integrity and capacity is not found in what we do, but from who we are. It’s not from the outside, but form the inside.
As human beings, God has breathed life into us and from that life-force within us we have an identity. With this capacity and power of life within us God has designed each of us to seek to achieve some purpose or reason for being with our lives.
Why am I here? For what purpose will I use the capacity and energy of life God has given to me? Regardless of an individual’s personal faith, everyone is looking for a reason for being here. “Why am I here” is one of life’s great questions. Am I just here by chance; am I just the result of some cosmic accident? Or am I here for some greater purpose?
Knowing your purpose and meaning—understanding your reason for being will energize your life. We can choose to either use our capacity to fulfill our personal desire or our God given purpose.
Some may argue having the wrong purpose is better than having no purpose at all! Capacity and purpose will get you up on a rainy Monday morning. We can overcome obstacles and difficulty—we can keep going even in the face of defeat with goal clearly set before us.
Knowing why I’m here produces energy to live life!
A misguided purpose may keep us going and motivate us to not give up, but what have we achieved at the end of our lives if we missed out on fulfilling our life’s purpose? What have I gained if I pursued money and wealth? What if my aim was fame, to be number 1?
•Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NIV)
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
o I’ve seen it all and it’s nothing but smoke—smoke, and spitting into the wind. (MsgB)
If we are going to have strength for daily living we need more than an ill-advised reason for being. We will find our hearts sick and empty if we never achieve a capacity and purpose greater than we are. I don’t want to just “spit into the wind;” I want my life to mean something.
GOD HAS GIVEN US THE HIGHEST PURPOSE. God gives us a capacity greater than anything we could try to achieve for ourselves.
•1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
. . . Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Contrary to popular opinion today our purpose is not about us and what we can do for ourselves. Our purpose is centered in God. As believers our reason for being is to make God’s glory known to others.
Our ultimate purpose is bringing glory to God—it’s easy to say, but what does it mean? How can our purpose to bring glory to God be realized?
Jesus gave us the perfect example of what it means to live a life for the glory of God. Everything Jesus did was to fulfill one simple goal—make the Father’s glory known.
•John 17:4 (NLT)
I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do.
What does it mean to glorify God? We think of giving God praise, to extol or magnify His name. We give glory to God as we bring honor to Jesus acknowledging the Lord for who He is and what He has done.
Okay—that’s a good “pastoral platitude,” but what does it mean? (Some of you are wondering what “pastoral platitude” is too right. “Pastoral platitudes” are cliché saying made by preachers that sound good, but lack practical application to how we should live our lives. In other words “it’s over our heads.”)
The word glory (or sometimes translated honor) comes from the Hebrew word “kabad” which literally means to be heavy or weighty. Therefore the glory of God radiates from His presence leaving an impression behind. The glory—that is the weightiness of God—is sensed and felt by those God touches. Wherever God goes and whatever He does leave the mark, or impression of His glory.
How many of you understand what I’m saying or is this more “preacher platitudes?” I’m going somewhere with this so stay with me; here’s how that little word study applies to our lives.
God has given us the greatest purpose for our lives—to glorify Him in all we do. Therefore the way we live our lives should make the glory of God known. In other words, our lives should leave “God marks” or “God impressions” behind.
We are not to live our lives to make a good impression for ourselves or leave our mark on the people we come into contact with. We are to leave a “God impression” behind—to reveal His glory. Our lives should reveal who God is how God acts and feels, so people around me can come to know God.
What impression are you leaving behind with people around you? What mark are you leaving in the lives of your children and family? Are your friends and neighbors more aware of you or God?
Everywhere we go with everything we say and everything we do we are leaving an imprint or an impression behind. Let me show you what I mean.
What person comes to mind when I use the following adjectives?
o Angry
o Greedy
o Envious
o Depressed
o Prideful
o Fearful
Notice I used all negative emotions people can leave as a mark in our lives. Yet how often may one of these same people try to be loving, kind, generous, or forgiving?
Everyone wants to leave a good impression. Few people want to be known as angry, greedy, envious, depressed or any other negative imprint you could imagine. Unfortunately it is hard for us to change who we really are on the inside.
o Let me illustrate what I mean. I’ve got two hammers with me. One is a 16 ounce Stanley, the other is a plastic Fisher Price. Which one do you think will leave the bigger mark on the things it hits? No brainer—the real hammer will do more to leave it’s mark than the toy. Now how many of you know with enough effort the toy hammer may eventually leave behind the same mark the real hammer left behind with just one swing?
Now make the connection. I can try to be known as a loving person, but if love does not fill my heart then I will have to work extra hard at being loving. I can try to show patience, but I’ll have to work harder at it if I’m really in a hurry.
Regardless of what it may be, unless God has made a change within my heart—unless God is making His glory know through my life from the inside out, then I’m going to have to work extra hard to try to leave a good impression upon other people. (Most likely people around me are going to know I’m just a hypocrite or impostor.)
•Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
[12] . . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
o That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. (MsgB)
God will work His divine purpose in and through our lives—if we let Him! God desires to leave His mark—for His impression, His glory to be made know through our lives. Everything we do is for His glory and not our own.
God’s purpose with God’s power—that’s strength for daily living!
Do you need strength for daily living? Are you sick and tired of trying to be something you’re not? Let God change you from the inside out. When you try to live a godly life in your own strength you’re going to be tired and rundown. You’ve got to work a lot harder to leave a good impression than God does.
Let God establish your purpose so you leave God marks in the lives of others through what you say and do. Let God define why you are here with the capacity of His strength and power to leave His mark in the lives of others.
So how can we fulfill God’s purpose in our lives and receive His strength for daily living? Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8 NIV). The Message Bible puts it like this: “This is how my Father shows who He is . . . when you mature as my disciples.” This is how you leave God marks—this is how the glory or impression of God is revealed through your life—it’s through the life and energy of Jesus flowing through your life.
Again when God does His work in our lives from the inside out we are energized as His purpose is fulfilled in and through our lives. However, when we try to do it in our own strength we grow tired and weary.
Jesus wants us to allow God to define our life’s purpose and more importantly Jesus wants us to let God energize us to fulfill our God given purpose. It’s amazing that an atheist, Bertrand Russell, understands this insight as well. Russell said: “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.”
God gives our lives purpose and meaning, but the good news is we don’t have to fulfill that purpose in our own strength. God empowers us to realize our life’s purpose from the inside out.
o Let me show you what I mean. Kids—stand up with your arms in the air and pretend you are an apple tree. Now all of you grunt and work real hard to make apples. Is that how a real apple tree does it? No, making apples happens effortlessly; it flows out of the life of the tree!
Similarly we don’t need to strain and struggle with all our might to live a godly life. God’s power flows from within us—His glory or weightiness is at work in our lives to leave His imprint behind. We make God known to the people in our lives naturally; we don’t have to force it to happen.
Therefore, when we find ourselves weary and tired, when we are in need of strength for daily living, we need to ask ourselves two questions:
1. Why am I here? Whose purpose am I living for? Am I living to fulfill my own ambitions or am I seeking to fulfill God’s purpose in my life? Whose imprint is being left behind?
2. Whose capacity will I use to fulfill my purpose? If I’m living for God’s purpose, then whose strength and energy am I using to do it? God’s power leaves behind His imprint naturally. If we try to do it on our own it takes a lot more energy and effort.
Remember—we are human beings, not human doings. Our purpose is not realized by straining and working with all our might to reach our full potential. It’s not what we do; it’s not from the outside in. It’s who we are—from the inside out.
The life of Christ within us naturally flows from within to reveal His glory or produce His imprint in the lives of others. That is our reason for being—our purpose.
Notice how these questions are answered in Paul’s life. Paul knew why he was here and he knew how his purpose would be fulfilled in his life.
•Colossians 1:29-2:2 (NIV)
[29] To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. [2:1] I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. [2] My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.
How would he have answered the question, “Why am I here?” What was Paul’s purpose? Paul’s goal and purpose was not to impress people with who he was, but to make Christ known—to leave an imprint of God in their lives.
Secondly, whose capacity did Paul use; how did he fulfill his purpose? Paul didn’t try to do this in his own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within him.
You and I will likewise be energized when we fulfill God’s purpose with God’s power!
What do you and I need to do to realize our full capacity? How can we like Paul say, “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy?”
1. SELECT HIS PURPOSE. (Advance)
God has given us a choice. We can choose to live for ourselves, or we can freely give ourselves to God and His purpose. The choice is yours.
•Galatians 2:20 (MsgB)
Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2. SERVE IN HUMILITY. (Advance)
As we choose His purpose we learn it’s not about us; it’s all about Him. The song “Jesus lover of my soul” begins with the words “It’s all about You, Jesus. It’s not about me, as if You should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender to Your ways.”
We don’t have to build upon our ego. We exalt Christ as we follow His example and serve others.
•Philippians 2:3-8 (MsgB)
[3] Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. [4] Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. [5] Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. [6] He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. [7] Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! [8] Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.
o Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philip. 2:3 NIV)
3. SEEK HIS POWER. (Advance)
When we choose to do the right things in our own power we come up short. We’re like the plastic hammer trying to leave the impression made be a real hammer—it takes a lot of extra energy. Energy we don’t have no matter how hard we try.
•Romans 7:21-25 (NLT)
It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. [22] I love God’s law with all my heart. [23] But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. [24] Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? [25] Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
His ability gives us stability. Only through Christ’s power can we live a righteous life giving God glory through how we live our lives. Only Jesus can empower us to leave “God marks” in the lives people around us.
•2 Corinthians 12:9 (MsgB)
And then [Jesus] told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.
4. STAY CLOSE TO THE CROSS. (Advance)
We can never think we have arrived. We need to learn to daily come to Christ with a heart of repentance. Only in the cross of Christ do we find forgiveness for our sin so that His power may flow within our lives.
•Galatians 6:14 (NIV)
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To the church Laodicea Jesus said, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent” (Revelation 3:19 NIV). Would Jesus likewise call us to come back to the cross so that He might renew a steadfast willing spirit within us? We cannot neglect the cross of Christ. It is there we are made new and set free from sin. It is at the cross we find His purpose for our lives—that He might be glorified as we leave “God marks” in all we do and say.
Strength for daily living is found when we remember our identity, integrity and capacity. Who am I? Whose am I? And why am I here. Let’s continue to allow God to do His work within our hearts and find strength for daily living.
