(Note: I'm going to be flat-out blunt with my faith here. If you think this is not for you. You can simply skip this post or move on to the subtitle below.)
In May of 2017, I've started to seek God for my life purpose. I believe as a follower in Christ, we are to share the Good News to others and make disciples of all nations. But it doesn't mean there is one way of doing it. God is a Master Creator, He is an ingenious God. Thus, I believe there are many 'creative ways' to share the Gospel with others.
Please read between the lines. I didn't say there are many ways to eternal life, narrow is the path that leads to it, and sadly only a few will find it. Jesus, the Christ, is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Call me myopic, hate me, or criticize me for writing that statement, didn't I warn you I'll be straightforward here? The fact is, those aren't my words, it's from the Bible! So choose what you want to believe this day, you are free to do so and God will still respect your decision.
So what if I die tomorrow and found out there's no eternal life? What will I lose?
Quite frankly, nothing! The difference is. I've lived my life free from condemnation, forgiven because of Jesus Christ' ultimate sacrifice at the cross, hope that despite the ugly circumstances I'll go through He is always working things out for my good, and expectant for a bright future.
Let's say, it's not true. Still, it's agreeable to live a life free from shame and guilt. To be able to live at peace with my conscience is worth it. And I'd be fulfilled knowing I've lived mine as God intended it to be, faults and all.
Let me throw the question back at you. What if you die tomorrow and realize there is life after death, and what those crazy Christians preach is indeed true? Wouldn't it be far too late for you?
Why don't you ask God if He is indeed real?
Don't come to a conclusion based solely on other people's judgments. You have to do your own seeking before making a decision. Isn't that what the scientific method taught us in school? First, you collect data, analyze it, and then make a conclusion.
If you think bending the law to accommodate your own desires -- which the Bible calls sin -- is freedom, know there's a price to pay. Whatever you sow you reap. God is not a God of judgment, He is a God of love. He is not coming at you for your sins, judgment has already taken place because of the fall in the garden. Our first parents choose death, and that law governed earthen living from then on.
If you dip your toes in the water, it will always get wet. It never fails. God is against sin, not the sinner. This is because He wants to protect you. Sin can damage your soul, subject your body to sickness and decay, leading to spiritual death.
Law and order are essential for peace. It is necessary for progress and prosperity, both material and immaterial.
Will you prosper under anarchy subjugation and chaos?
Boundaries are necessary for freedom.
Imagine living in a world without perimeters? Anyone could just come inside your house to loot, hurt, and potentially kill you and your family. Who wants that?
Have you realized, even the sea has its own limits? They ebb and flow within their invisible markers, hindered to cross over beyond its defined borders, else, a tsunami of destruction awaits.
You who laid the foundations of the earth,So that it should not be moved forever,You covered it with the deep as with a garment;The waters stood above the mountains.At Your rebuke they fled;At the voice of Your thunder, they hastened away.They went up over the mountains; They went down into the valleys,To the place which You founded for them.You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,That they may not return to cover the earth.~ Psalm 104:5-9
Here's the point. Freedom is in Christ Jesus. Gosh, I've talked a lot! What am I saying? The truth. It will set you free!
+++
Anyway, back to the life purpose story. ;) So, life got in the way. I gave birth to our firstborn son, was depressed, and forgot about my prayer.
Two years later, that's early 2020 (yup, that's just this year), God set me free from the dark cloud of misery hovering over my head (read here) and gave me the grace to seek Him once again.
[A quick photo diary: So I've asked our little guy if he would be kind enough to smile for the camera. Because he doesn't like to be told what to do, he protested and whined at first, then went on to do what I've asked him by posing wacky. Yes, outdoing what I've requested from him. lol]
Finding Your Passion
It was at a hotel in Niagara Falls, early December of last year when I've discovered my love for writing. I was converting our account of the day's event into digital words, on a small metallic table beside the warm bed (this post), overlooking the falls below, colorful lights dancing to the beat of the powerful force of cascading waters.
But before I've realized this is what I wanted to do, I served at church: looking after babies and toddlers, joined the worship team, volunteered with the housekeeping team, amongst other things I've tried to discover God's gifts and callings for my life.
Since then, I never stop writing. (Okay, there's a day I don't write too.) I started out with 300 words because that's where my capability lies at that point, a limit where I'm able to pen out words congruently. As months progressed, I ratcheted it up to 500.
I simply applied the power of compounding: time + consistency = improvement.
You have got to find out yours too, no matter how long it takes. By the way, it took me 2 years to realize mine and I've been writing for years before that without a clear purpose. Also, it's important to seek God while you're at it. He will lead you.
Finding Your Message and Voice
It's one thing to know about your passion, another is discovering your message. And so is finding out your voice, and who your target audience is.
I prefer not to parrot someone else's ideas, although this is inevitable at the beginning. After all, children learn by copying adults. Thus, we also emulate others, those who have established themselves in the field you want to break into.
To be able to find mine, I write everything and anything under the sun: life lessons, books I've read, beauty products I've tried, travel, home, a motley of topics without focus. That's what happened to this blog. (lol)
And finally, after months of doing this, I believed I've reached a eureka moment: I found my message.
What's Next?
I'll one-upping my game once again. I'm planning to take courses or sign up for writer's training. Seriously? Yup! I want expert eyes to critic my work. It's part of progress.
Also, I'm grateful my husband is supportive of my newfound passion. After all, he will be financing my improvement. (lol)
Anyway, if you're a believer in Christ, hungry for words of life, check out my other blog: Shouts of Wisdom. There you will find articles about the Word, personal testimonies, the importance of asking God for wisdom, His heart for you, and more.
If you've figured it out already, yes, that's the message I've rediscovered during my eureka moment. ;)