Day 106 - Soul longs for purpose
Scripture focus: Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20 NIV
"what can settle your mind will not settle your soul." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 23 Destiny.
At NorthStar Community we spend A LOT of time talking about the physiology of addiction, stress, and the neurology of the brain. We talk about it, because our physiology matters. When our physiology is agitated, it demands a response. And sometimes we feel calmer when we think we know stuff - whether or not we're right isn't even the point. We like feeling in control. The truth is, we're not in control of anything. There's tons of stuff we don't know! There are a few things we do know, and they are very, very important points for us to grasp, if we're going to live reasonably happy in this world.
"Your soul longs to find its ultimate purpose. It will not rest until you do. Your soul craves its destiny. Your soul desires. It always will. You were created as a creative being. You were made to grow, to dream, to achieve. Your soul is letting you know you come from God and your life is intended to be God-sized and God-inspired." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 23 Destiny.
Hold on, there is a clarifying point that must be made!
"The problem, of course, is that we have raging passions and desires without the character and inherent good of God to channel them properly. Nevertheless, the solution for God has never been to neuter us or move us toward living apathetic lives. The goal of spirituality is not to extract from you all desire and passion. The call of Jesus is the exact opposite - delight in him and he will give you the desires of your heart. . . Jesus kept inviting those who seemed to think it was too good to be true to follow him and experience nothing less than life, and life beyond measure. Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 23 Destiny.
So - in order to live the abundant life, we're going to need a big heart. We're going to need to strengthen our character. In small and medium and large ways, God needs to refine and reshape us. The great, amazingly cool truth is - He loves his job!
Recommended reading: Joshua 11 and 12 in the morning; Psalm 83 and 84 in the evening
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