Purpose and focus

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Great Adventure”

Our Bible verse for today: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Purpose and focus”

The other day I was sitting in a pastor’s office in a church in another town. In addition to being the pastor of a church in that town, he also serves as the chaplain in the county jail. One of the young men in my church has been a prisoner in that jail for a couple of years but now, he is being prepared for release. The other pastor brought my guy out of the jail and to the church that day to do some work at the church, and then he invited me to come to the church to spend some time with the young man.

The three of us met in the pastor’s office for a couple of hours. Together, the other pastor and I attempted to guide the young man in his thinking regarding his upcoming release and his plans going forward. The man has been a professing Christian for all the years I have known him (12) and long before that. But he has never really lived what he professes to believe. As a result, over those twelve years he has been in three county jails and four prisons. But over these last couple of years my friend seems to have made a sincere recommitment to Christ. He is a different man now than I have ever known him to be.

At one point in our conversation the other pastor brought up the subject of purpose and focus. He explained to the man that it is essential for him to have a big-picture, long-term, overriding goal for his life. Then he also must have mid-term goals that lead to the accomplishment of that long-term goal, and then short-term goals that provide specific step-by-step guidance for each day.

That pastor is right. It’s essential for us as Christians to have a purpose, a plan, and focus. The long-term goal for us as Christians is expressed nicely in Matthew 6:33 – it’s to honor God with our lives. Short-term, mid-term, long-term, it should all add up to a life that honors the Lord. The short-term and mid-term specifics will vary greatly from person-to-person depending on dozens of variables such as where we want to live, what kind of work we want to do, what hobbies and activities we enjoy, etc. But all of it should add up to a life that honors the Lord.

For the month of September, we’re going to continue thinking about this great adventure of the Christian life and how important it is to understand our purpose and to stay focused on it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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