“I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be.” Philippians 3:12 NLT.
Defined purpose and priorities are fundamental for maximum accomplishment.
My thoughts and comments today are about “purpose and priorities.”
It is easy to live simply for the moment, but not best. You have to live in the moment, but you need to live for the future. Today is the fruit of yesterday but also the seed of tomorrow. How purposefully you live today has so much to do with the opportunities and joys available ahead for you. Without a sense of purpose and priorities, life becomes occupied with lesser things. Clear purpose determines direction, decisions, and ultimately destination; defined priorities accomplish maximum achievement. Without clear purpose you are adrift. Without priorities, you waste valuable time, resources, and best efforts – good replaces best; urgent supplants important; temporal displaces eternal.
Consider Paul’s confidence and single-mindedness, “I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be . . I am focusing all my energies on this one thing.” Read Philippians 3:10-14 NLT. Paul had conviction of purpose and firmly established priorities. You know from what you were saved; more importantly, understand for what you are saved. Spiritual growth does not just happen on its own, nor is it simply a calendar event. Christ-likeness is the result of single-mindedness, in a deliberative process whereby you cooperate with the Holy Spirit to become all the Father purposed for you to be and do.
Jesus lived with singular purpose. Even as a young boy, Jesus had a single-mindedness of purpose. He lived with this conviction, “I must be about My Father’s business.” Luke 2:49 NKJV. Later, neither the crowd’s adulation nor criticism could deter Him. He could not have been more clear, “I have come down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me . . [I am] come to seek and to save that which was lost.” John 6:38/Luke 19:10 NKJV.
Jesus chose Godly priorities. “The One who sent Me is with Me . . for I always do what pleases Him.” John 8:29 NIV. There is no greater joy than the sure knowledge that your life is pleasing to God. Paul’s prayer was: “to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God . .” Read Colossians 1:9-12 NKJV. “Filled . . worthy . . pleasing . . fruitful . . increasing!” How are you doing in all those?
But therein is to be found this good news. “May the God of peace Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to Him.” Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT. God equips you “with all you need for doing His will.” God produces in you, “all that is pleasing to Him.” How can you be confident of this, you may ask. Consider carefully His past record. Your God has unequalled power; He is the One “who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus.” How does your little need stack up to that impossibility? He accomplishes this “through the power of Jesus Christ.” See Ephesians 3:21 NIV.
Long ago, I made this dedication, “I will live daily with an eternal perspective and Kingdom priorities.” There it was – clear purpose and defined priorities. Two understandings guide my personal discipleship, “Keep the main thing the main thing” and “First things first.” In a practical way, I think those two guidelines clarify the dedication I made some years ago. My Dad taught me those basics; I heartily commend them to you.
My prayer for you today is this: be clear about who you are and what you are to be.