Living a Life that Matters.

I was 16 years old and thought I knew everything about everything. I thought I knew what I wanted.

I wanted my own money.

I wanted freedom from parents’ tyrannical rule.

I wanted my version of happiness. (which included basically anything my parents didn’t want me to do).

I was getting into trouble at school and my dad sat me down one day and asked, “Son, what is it you really want?”

The truth is, I didn’t really know. I thought i knew what I wanted. I lived for the things I thought i wanted. But when I laid my head down on my pillow that night after my dad asked me what I really wanted, I didn’t have an answer for myself, let alone my dad.

Have you ever thought about what you really want?

If you haven’t, a lot of other people have. If you do a quick internet search you’ll find some basic things that everybody wants.

1. Happiness Biggest Challenge:  “Not knowing what I want to do.”

2. Money Biggest Challenge:  “Not having enough money or time to accomplish things I want to do.

3. Freedom Biggest Challenge:  “Having the freedom to find my ‘true purpose’ or being lit up by the day-to-day work.”

4. Peace Biggest Challenge:  “Lack of clarity about who I am and my purpose.”

Joy Biggest Challenge:  “How to find the right role or position for me now that will bring joy in my work.” The best advice I have about achieving joy in your life is to surround yourself with people, places, things and a vocation that is joyful.  Once you are clear about your top three values the decisions you make around who and what you allow into your life will lead you to the joy you are seeking. Balance Biggest Challenge:  “Balancing my needs and desires for flexibility while making enough money and having the benefits I want.” Over the years I have watched the debate, particularly for women about whether you can have it all.  I think you can, but most likely not all at the same time.  For more of my thoughts on this have a look at this blog post I wrote about perfection.  http://meetmeatthebarn.com/perfect-solution-attain-freedom-perfection/Fulfillment Biggest Challenge:  “Utilizing my potential in the best possible way, for myself and for others.” Fulfillment is different for everyone.  What is your definition of fulfillment?  Until you know what this means for you, it will most likely be a moving target.  Over time a moving target generally leads to frustration and fulfillment will remain elusive.  I also suggest that instead of approaching life with a “what do I want from the world” attitude, start asking the question, “what does the world want from me?”Confidence Biggest Challenge:  “Feeling like I have something to offer now, rather than feeling constantly as if I’m not ready and need more training.” The Lines In The Sand course participants are asked to list their gifts and how they can use them to make a positive impact in the world.  The answers have varied from being a great Mom to having a great voice to being really funny.   I challenge you to answer the same question.  I will remind you that there is nothing bigger than yourself in the world.  Risk being seen in all your glory.Stability Biggest Challenge:  “Figuring out what to do next, to keep me afloat and be a bridge to my later years and retirement.” There is no guarantee for stability in your life.  Stability comes from the inside, not the outside world.  Stability comes from you, your courage and the gifts that you offer to the world.  As you go through life you will experience some rough water, and the good news is, you get to decide what meaning you are going to give to these events.  Perspective is everything. Passion Biggest Challenge:  “Overcoming feelings of ineptitude and negativity because of career setbacks.” I repeat, you get to decide the meaning that you are going to give to the events that happen in your life.  Are you going to define a “setback” as a setback or a learning opportunity and a chance to improve your life?  Life will show up for you in the exact way that you say or think it will.

4. Joy Biggest Challenge:  “How to find the right role or position for me now that will bring joy in my work.”

5.  Balance Biggest Challenge:  “Balancing my needs and desires for flexibility while making enough money and having the benefits I want.”

6. Fulfillment Biggest Challenge:  “Utilizing my potential in the best possible way, for myself and for others.”

7. Confidence Biggest Challenge:  “Feeling like I have something to offer now, rather than feeling constantly as if I’m not ready and need more training.”

8. Stability Biggest Challenge:  “Figuring out what to do next, to keep me afloat and be a bridge to my later years and retirement.”

9. Passion Biggest Challenge:  “Overcoming feelings of ineptitude and negativity because of career setbacks.”

Did you know that sin entered into the world all because somebody wanted something that God created more than they wanted the Creator?

Jesus himself said,

Mark 8:36 NKJV

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

The life you want is worthless if Jesus isn’t at the center.

Just a few weeks after my dad asked me what I really wanted, I got kicked out of high school. In frustration, he looked at me and said, “Well, I guess you got what you wanted.” The truth is. I still didn’t know. I wasn’t happy at my school. But I wasn’t happy anywhere.

My dad came to me and said, “Son, I love you. Your mom loves you. Your brothers love you. We have done everything we know to do with you. I have a friend a couple of hours away who runs a home for teenage boys who keep getting into trouble. And I’m going to take you there.

After a difficult struggle, my two older brothers helped my dad get me into the car against my will. And we started driving. I thought. You know what, “Maybe my dad will just let me out and I can do my own thing. I can do what I want. After about an hour and a half we stopped at a restaurant and my dad asked me if I was hungry. I was. So we went in. We were just a few minutes away from the home where he was taking me to live.

As we were finishing our meal, my dad said, “Son, I’ll give you one last chance. You can come home with me or you can go stay in this other place.” I said, “Dad. I just want you to let me go.I don’t want to go to this other home. I just want to be on my own. Why won’t you just let me go?”

Now, I didn’t see my dad cry a whole lot growing up. But I saw a tear begin to trickle down his face. And then another tear. Pretty soon, my dad’s eyes were filled with tears and he reached across the table and put his hand on top of mine and he said, “Son, your mom and I gave you life. And I love you with all my heart. And I will never let you go.”

And for the first time in almost 10 years, my heart felt something. My mind understood something. Through that experience with my earthly father I encountered the unconditional love of my Heavenly Father.

And I realized that nothing I wanted in life mattered without God, because he was the one who gave me life.

I looked at my dad, and I said. “Okay, dad. I’ll go home with you.”

It didn’t happen quickly, but a year later I finally cried out to Jesus and said, “You can have it all! My life. My heart. Everything. I just want to be yours and I want you to be mine.”

The Apostle Paul opens the second portion of his letter to the Romans with these words...

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1–2 CSB

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

If you know Jesus, you know unconditional love. You have experienced the mercies of God. Just as I experienced the mercies of my earthly father that day, each of us who knows Jesus personally has encountered the outstretched hand of God saying, “I gave you life. I love you. I want you to be mine and I want to make my home in your heart.”

Do you think I thought differently about my father after that day? Yes I did? Why? Because every time I got angry. Every time I wanted something for me that he didn’t want for me I’d remember the tear-filled eyes of my father and the gentle touch of my father’s hand and his voice saying “ I love you and I will never you go!”

It was in view of my father’s tender mercies that began to work a transformation in my life.

Oh our world would be a better place if we Christians…those of us in this room this morning would constantly remember the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father.

If we would set our attention on his compassion for us...

If we would set our eyes on his relentless pursuit of us...

If we would focus on the great lengths he went to in sending his own son to die for us...

If we would picture the image of our suffering Savior on the cross and imagine the amazement of the empty tomb...

If we would just remember always the day that we recognized God’s still small voice stirring in our soul “I love you! Won’t you come home?”

Paul says, in view of the mercies of God, present yourselves a living sacrifice.

If you have been rescued by Jesus. If you have received God’s free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for you, it’s no longer about what you want. It’s about what He wants. And He wants all of you.

Christian…Does he have all of your heart? Does he have all of your mind?

Unbeliever…you can go after everything you want, but if you miss Jesus, you’ll not have the only thing you really need.

Christian, In view of the mercies of God, offer yourselves fully to the Lord.

It’s been said by a famous actor & movie director Woody Allen that 80% of life is just showing up.

“Offering yourselves as a living sacrifice” is just the ancient version of that quote. Paul is reminding us of the importance of showing up in God’s presence. “Here I am God!”

So we present ourselves to God openly, willingly knowing that when we show up, God is already there, with open arms ready to change us to look like Jesus.

As we show up and allow God to work in our lives he transforms us to reflect the character of Jesus.

When you show up and open your mind to God your life begins to reflect the things that He wants.

He wants you to serve him wherever you are with whatever you’ve got!

In verses 3-8, Paul lists several gifts from God. But the key is what you do with those gifts!

If you can serve, serve.

If you can teach, teach.

If you can encourage, encourage.

If you can help, help.

In view of the mercies of God live a life of giftedness for the benefit of others! Serve him wherever you are, with whatever you’ve got!

Romans 12:5 NLT

so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Your life story is a gift.

Your talents are gifts.

You’ve been gifted and God wants you to live a life where you are using your giftedness to gift others.

You have something that somebody else needs. God wants to use you to meet that need.

He wants you to live a life of goodness!

In terms of our habits and attitudes, we begin turning from what is evil and clinging to what is good, loving others, being devoted to one another, honoring one another, practicing hospitality, and  letting the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ be a live streaming video feed through us every day.

Paul summarizes some spiritual gifts in 7 categories here in .

Romans 12:3–8 NLT

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Romans 12:2 CSB

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1 CSB

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

Finally,

God wants you to live a life full of grace!

Christians should be...

easy to get along with,

pleasant,

gracious,

forgiving easily,

personable. 

There may be some who won’t get along with us, but if we are gracious to people—we don’t get mad and stay mad at others and don’t let a root of bitterness spring up, we’ll have a much easier time in life. 

Maybe it’s time we stop asking ourselves what we want and start asking, “What does God want?”

In view of the mercies of God…what does He want?

IN view of God’s mercies he wants us to be merciful.

In view of God’s compassion he wants us to be compassionate.

In view of God’s wisdom he wants us to make wise decisions.

God wants you!

Does he have all of you?