Thought #1: God has a purpose for you

Life in this world is difficult. No doubt about it. Every step of life brings a new set of struggles. What is hard for us to see, though, is that everything we go through shapes us into the person God wants us to become.

How many times have you quoted Romans 8:28 when someone is going through a difficult time?

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)

It is a very comforting verse, to know that God can take all things and make something good from them. He absolutely can work things for good. The part that we tend to ignore, though, is who will receive that good? Bad things happen to good people. We see it every day. But “good people” may not always be people who love God or are searching for his purpose for their lives.

When I was struggling for seven years with seizures, migraine headaches, addiction, and depression, I’m honestly not sure I could say I “loved” God. I respected him; I feared him; I knew about him and needed a relationship with him. But how can you truly love someone you don’t really know? To know God and learn to really love him, he must be in your life every day. And since he’s not standing in the kitchen with you cooking breakfast every morning, it takes a little creativity to include him in your life every day. I love the book The Shack and highly recommend it. It’s a fantastic story~Falling in love with God requires intentional actions every day. (Feel free to tweet that little tidbit of wisdom )

Here are a few simple (and yes, probably corny) ways to intentionally bring God into your life every day:

1. Put post-it notes in prominent places that simply say “God” and it will remind you to converse with him.
2. Don’t shelter yourself from the sad world we live in. Choose some way to volunteer to help other less fortunate.
3. Look up at the stars at night and realize that God created it all.
4. Talk to God out loud as you go about your day (thought you might want to reserve this one for when you’re alone so you won’t look too crazy).
5. Make a list that you must add to every day of five things you were thankful for that day.
6. Look at your children and remember they came from a sperm and an egg. The amazement of conception & birth, and then growth and personality development will help you love God every time you look at them.
7. Spend time in God’s word every day. The Bible is a love letter from God to his people. And when you read it, keep in mind it was written just for you. 

Spend 2013 intentionally falling in love with God. Seek him and his purpose for your life. It’s be so easy for a mountain to fall on our head and instantly be in love with God. And it may happen that way for some, but for most, it’s a process…a journey. He’d love nothing more than to walk beside  you on that journey and show you his plans for  you!