Faith

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Finding God's purpose is not easy. I know I spent years praying and seeking God's face. Finally, God placed it on my heart to start GodFire Revival and Discipleship Outreach.

One of our missions is to develop Bible study materials to train international believers free of charge. It takes volunteers to accomplish this work. John is one such volunteer who helps track students and teachers, by entering their names into our database.

Recently, John became very ill. The doctors found he suffers from Parkinson's disease, neuropathy of the spine, and scoliosis in the neck. In constant pain, he refers to himself as a train wreck. I do not know how he keeps going. He said to me, one Saturday morning, that in spite of his physical condition, he would continue helping us with our mission. He said, "My left hand has the shakes, but my right hand does not. Despite the pain, I can still type with my one good hand."

That same evening, I phoned Lonnie, my younger brother. Lonnie, who last year volunteered to direct our online schools, suffered a broken blood vessel in his eye. Since he already lost vision in his other eye, he could no longer read. This caused him to have to close a printing business that he ran for fifteen years.

In spite of all this, he remains in good spirits. Now he spends hours in prayer seeking God's will for his life. He also spends time listening to and memorizing the Psalms. He said, "God is not finished with me yet. Despite my situation, I want to use the ministry's discipleship material to start a local Bible study in my area."

No, God is not done with these men. He spent years preparing their hearts for ministry. They want God to use them until they can no longer physically carry out His will. Both are pillars of faith, who press on with inspiring dignity.
Few people want to pay the cost these two men have had to pay to find God's will for their lives. Most want to find an instant purpose, without the process it takes God to properly equip them for His work (2 Tim. 2:20-22).

Proper preparation includes prayer, Bible study, trials and brokenness. And contrary to what many modern day Christians think, God still hates sin and cannot use them if they choose to continue in their sinful lusts and worldly desires (Gal. 5:19-21).

Do you want to know God's will or purpose for your life? Then you must be willing to lay down your desires. It will not be easy. Along the path to discovering God's will, you will experience brokenness and the desert walk. You will learn to bear your own cross, as God's word, through study and practical life experiences comes alive within you.

Once you prove your worthiness, and are fortunate to be one of the chosen (Mat 22:14) God will seek to carry out His purpose in you. You will not choose it. He will choose it for you. After all, it is not your purpose. It is His.

For your own good, God will not shorten His plan for your life. Your training will take years and not days. Now, I must warn you, before you put your hand to this plow, you need to count the cost (Luke 9:62, 14:28-32). Your training will cost you time, and it may cost you your job, your reputation, your money, your plans and your health. However, in the end, if you are willing to put your hands to this plow, you will gain the hope of eternity and win the prize, standing in the presence of Christ without shame.

As Paul writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:10,11,14 NIV).

Lynn Sheldon, Founder GodFire Revival and Discipleship Outreach—a discipleship and music ministry. Visit godfirerevival.org or phone 601-720-6301. Comments: e-mail [email protected]. Note: My brother Lonnie went home to be with the Lord, June 2007...We buried him on his birthday. I miss you brother.

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