I've read a whole bunch of books on this race and with some of them I've even made some notes.
It's been a challenging and encouraging year and I've learnt a lot and been able to reflect on a lot too.
So I wanted to share with you the things that I want my life to reflect and be spent on during and following the race:
My Purpose:
To Magnify God: To extend His glory and delight in it.
He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.
My Mission:
To do all that I can with my life to see the world impacted by the grace of God – the expansion of His kingdom by the sharing of His gospel, the outworking of His plan by the effort of His church and the outpouring of His love by the lives of His people.
I live in light of the fact that:
- To live is Christ and to die is gain.
- God doesn’t need me but He wants me.
- God wants to partner with us in bringing His Kingdom.
- God is the main character in life, not me – what I do draws attention to Him.
- We doubly belong to God – He created us and He also bought us at a price.
- We will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and give an account of everything we did or didn’t do.
- Non-discipleship is costly: first to those who are not being saved and are poor; and also to me.
- Church is not to get as many people out of the world as possible, but to send as many into it with the gospel.
- People cannot come to God apart from Christ and He commands us to make His gospel known to all.
- Whilst people are dying and going to hell I cannot live a life that is only concerned with myself or those nearby.
- We have to act ourselves into feeling and becoming what we want to be.
- We will have everything we need to do His will and be eternally and supremely happy in Him.
- Every good thing and every bad thing used by God for good was paid for at the cross and is a gift from God.
- My security is in the knowledge that I am a blood-bought child of the King of kings who always works for my best.
- To suffer with Jesus means we savour His greatness more, leading to greater joy in ourselves, and so it is a gift.
- Our deepest pain can be the source of our greatest spiritual growth.
- Nothing in heaven or on earth can separate me from the love of God.
- Satan only acts by sovereign appointment, unknowingly accomplishing sovereign purposes.
- It is only when we are in impossible situations that require complete dependence that a miracle can occur.
- People who make a difference are not those who master many things but those who are mastered by one thing.
I am:
- Fully committed to living all or nothing for Jesus’ way, however hard it seems to be.
- Living for the Kingdom, not for comfort, safety or security. I want to grow in faith, not money or possessions.
- Being transformed from what I once was into who I was always meant to be by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Indwelt by the Holy Spirit – the good gift and answer to all of our needs, the God who made the universe itself.
- Always in awe of who God is and what He has done both in creation and in redemption.
- Open-minded, acknowledging that I can be wrong about things and willing to change my opinions to better match the truth, especially as found in God’s word.
- A spiritual being having a human experience not the other way around.
- A citizen of Heaven and only a sojourner on earth.
- Blessed to be a blessing.
I will:
– Live:
- Biblically, not conventionally.
- A life that screams “Kingdom” to people.
- In a way that doesn’t make sense to unbelievers because of how radically different it is.
- Looking for the good I can do with every minute.
- Reliant on God’s power, not on my own.
- Spending each day dying to self.
- With a ‘holy discontent’ with where I am, longing for the more that God has for me & those around me.
- With a wartime mind-set.
– Put God’s desires above all else:
- Whether I understand everything concerning what He is requiring or not.
- Whether it is easy or hard to conform to.
- Believing Jesus when he says or commands something and obeying what that is (not twisting it so that it appears to validate how I am already living)
- Responding to what God asks of me, without any conditions.
- Willing to let go of things, however good they may be, when I feel God calling me to something great.
– Regularly spend time devotionally:
- In God’s word
- In worship of Him
- In intercession for individuals and groups in need
- In spiritual disciplines (fasting, watching, silence, solitude, meditation, memorisation)
– Be:
- A person of complete trust, uncommon obedience, courageous faith and outrageous generosity.
- Ever increasing in the manifestation of the fruit of the spirit in all areas of my life.
- Growing into more of the humble attitude of Christ found in Philippians 2.
- Forgiving, generous and merciful, since I have been forgiven so much.
- Unguarded with others – open, honest, transparent – about every aspect of my life.
- Either going to missions, or sending people out.
- Extravagant toward God.
– Give, love and serve sacrificially, (not just leftovers/what can be spared), expecting nothing in return:
- At least tithing, but aiming to give more, never concerned with whether it is ‘financially viable’ but trusting that a blessed 90% is better than a selfish 100%.
- Remembering that I cannot serve others too much or give away too much of my money, time or love. I will be unlikely to hear “I wish you had kept more for yourself”.
- Seeing everyone I interact with, and treating them, as if they were Christ.
- Doing things for those in need who cannot repay me in any way.
- Downsizing my life so that the lives of others can be upgraded.
- Helping others pursue gladness in God.
– Make disciples:
- Investing intentionally and largely in a small group of believers and their growth,
- As part of a larger community of faith that share life together,
- Teaching them by inviting them into my personal discipleship.
– Act:
- With initiative, not waiting to do good works only if I think it is something God is calling me to do.
- Always doing at least one thing in faith that clearly requires a move of God for it to work (i.e. situations that will be scary or humiliating if God doesn’t show up).
- Assessing what I do by asking “Is this the most loving way to live my life?" & "Is this something that glorifies Him, or could I be doing something better with my time?”.
- Spending time around the diseased, despised, dying and dangerous, whilst praying for their healing, deliverance and salvation.
- Exercising wisdom in what I watch, read, listen to, talk about and think about.
– Take big risks:
- Remembering that risks for Jesus show His value, not my valour.
- Aiming to fail audaciously in life, because failing audaciously would show that I have been taking big risks and creating opportunities for God to move miraculously.
I will not:
- Measure my spiritual health by comparison with others but strive to have the relationship with God Jesus had.
- Be afraid of opposition, rejection, humiliation, or persecution, even if it comes from friends and family.
- Be afraid of failure, but rather of succeeding only in things that do not ultimately matter.
- Live out of a place of ‘chronological snobbery’ or ethnocentrism, but rather look only for truth.
- Ask “what’s wrong with it?” but rather “how will this help me treasure Christ and help others to do the same?”
- Waste life by being overly focussed on things eternally inconsequential – TV, fashion, sports, videogames, etc.
- Aim to build up earthly wealth but rather treasure in heaven.
I hope to see in my lifetime:
- Many people healed, cleansed, raised, delivered and ultimately saved first-hand.
- Every nation, people group and language with a native group of witnessing believers.
- An end to extreme poverty in our world – those without access to clean water, without enough food, without shelter and without access to medicine for treatable diseases.
