Chapter One
does God have a purpose
for my life-really?
I never thought it would happen. But it did. It was a dream come
true. I designed and built my own home!
I was raised in southern California. Then, after nearly thirty
years, I moved to a small town in northwest Iowa. Among many
special friendships was one with a carpenter named Gary. Before
long, with his help, I was actually considering the possibility of
building a new home. A design was agreed on, costs were explored,
a lot was purchased, and the house was built. We moved in just in
time for Thanksgiving.
While in the Midwest, I discovered that there really are four
seasons. Following the snowy winter came spring showers, and it
was time to landscape our new home. I went to the nursery and
bought trees, shrubs, and flowers. The lawn was planted and the
yard was set.
While most of my plants did really well, some died. I went back
to the nursery and got more. I planted them. They died too. One
afternoon I was in the yard explaining to my neighbor (actually complaining
about) how frustrated I was with my plants. I showed him
how some of them were doing really well while others kept dying.
He made a brilliant observation. He said, "These plants won't
grow here!" (At that point, I figured he must be a college graduate.
He was able, so graphically, to articulate the obvious.)
I said, "Really?"
He went on to explain. "These plants require direct sunlight.
Have you ever noticed that the sun never shines within three feet
of the north side of your house? They should be placed where they
can get the sunlight they need to grow."
It seemed so simple. Yet someone had to explain to me how God
had made each plant with different requirements. A plant needing
direct sun will perish or flourish, depending on the amount of sun
it receives. Another plant, requiring shade, will have its potential
destroyed in direct sunlight. When I understood what the plants
needed, it was not difficult to find an appropriate place for them.
So, the "bad" plants I had purchased were not really bad at all.
They were simply planted in the wrong place. In short, I had
learned two important and related gardening lessons: First, know
what a plant needs to flourish. Second, place it in the appropriate
environment.
Created with a Purpose in Mind
In my thirty years of ministry, I've discovered that many people
have had similar experiences in their lives. Like poorly planted
shrubs, they often feel misplaced. Maybe you've felt that way too.
Take a moment to check the statements below that apply to you:
_____ I feel that I am capable of accomplishing more than
I am presently achieving.
_____ I sense that God wants to use me in a meaningful
way, but I'm not sure how.
_____ My frustration and confusion about not knowing
just what to do makes me less confident and
competent.
_____ I desire to be more fruitful and fulfilled, making a
difference with my life.
_____ I feel there must be something wrong with me
because I still have not been able to figure out what
I should be doing.
_____ I wish I knew God's will for my life.
_____ I am often asked to do things I am not interested in
doing.
If you checked any or all of the statements above, then this book
is for you. In the pages that follow, you will find some practical
insights and helpful tools to assist you in two of the most important
aspects of your life: Identifying the particular person God has
made you to be; and discovering how you can be fruitful and fulfilled
in a meaningful place of service.
Are you in an environment that is enabling you to realize your
greatest potential? Maybe like the plant, you are not a bad Christian,
but you are unaware of what you need, and you aren't sure
of the appropriate position from which your life could make an
impact on others.
At times, I have felt that there was something wrong with me
because I was not growing or developing in ways that those around
me expected. Have you heard the saying, "Bloom where you are
planted"? What happens when you aren't blooming? There must
be something wrong with you-right? No, not necessarily.
God has created and designed us with a purpose in mind. We
are "wired" to care about some things more than others. We have
been given spiritual gifts to competently accomplish ministry tasks.
We have also been designed with a personal style of relating to others
and the world around us. We have been given a passion.
When you know your God-given spiritual gifts, personal style,
and ministry passion, then you'll know what you need to be both
fruitful and fulfilled in your life and ministry.
The Tension
Most of us know that we should serve God. We know that God
not only desires, but commands us to serve (Galatians 5:13). And
we want to obey. We have a genuine desire to honor him by fulfilling
his purposes and plans for our lives. But many of us don't
know how to serve. While we want to serve and know we should
serve, it has been difficult to find the places where we are able to
make our unique contributions. Rather than constantly "replanting"
ourselves in a variety of environments in the hope that we
might find fulfillment and fruitfulness, doesn't it make sense to discover
what God created us for in the first place?
You can gain a better understanding of what your contribution
should be through the identification of your servant profile, which
you'll find throughout the coming chapters. Your servant profile
indicates those three keys that we mentioned before: your spiritual
gifts, your personal style, and your God-given ministry passion.
With an understanding of your servant profile, you can increase
your ability to follow God's will for your life.
You may believe the common notion that God's will for your
life is sealed in a mysterious time capsule somewhere, only to be
found by those who attend the greatest number of seminars,
prayer meetings, Sunday school classes, outreach events, camps,
worship services, and conferences. Fortunately, it is more that
God's will is revealed through his unique design of the person he
made you to be.
No One Ever Asked
We were sitting in a room, just the three of us. Nancy and I were
talking with Sarah about her servant profile and what she might be
sensing God was leading her to do. Nancy and Sarah had been in
the same church and had known each other for years. In fact,
Nancy did not think getting together was really necessary, because
she already knew just about everything there was to know about
Sarah.
(Continues.)
