There is purpose in pain and hope for continuing to be faithful.

Where do you want to be in life? Who do you want to become? Big questions. Simple answers. Yet lots of struggle arriving at them.

Being with Jesus requires letting go of you…struggle. Becoming like Jesus requires allowing the Spirit to enlarge your faith to make the tough choices to follow when you’d rather not…struggle. Remember this, though, Everything in life has struggles, everything.

In the Hall of Fame chapter (Hebrews11), everyone who made the list had their fair share of struggles. Here is their epitaph: “They all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (11:13)

Strangers and exiles don’t fit in. They didn’t go along with the crowd. They take a different path, like salmon swimming upstream, the hard one.

Sound like good news? It is if you are struggling at the moment to follow Jesus and let the Spirit transform your life.

Struggles tell you that you are on the right path. So, be encouraged. You’re in good company. And just like the heroes of old, continue to struggle successfully.

One day you will be completely like Him. Until then, just keep focusing on the truth the Spirit gives you and take it one faith choice at a time.

The Father is always there and present with His children.

A dad and daughter were practicing new gymnastic routines. The dad was holding his daughter’s hands while she worked through various skills when all of a sudden, she started crying and screaming, “I’m scared!! I want to quit.”

At that point, dad gently guided daughter safely to the mat. After a few moments, he said, “First of all, I love you and am proud of you whether or not you continue in gymnastics. I also had you and will have you. Furthermore, you have done so many moves that other women have never done.

“You are brave. You are talented. You are strong and have so much more talent for the world to see. You can quit if you don’t love doing this anymore. But you will not quit because you are scared. You work through your fears, not give into them.” She got up and continued.

The Father is with you. He knows everything you have done, not done, should have done and will ever do. Nothing can or will surprise Him. The Father, your Father, sees the big picture. Though He cares about the small things, He keeps the big picture in mind. He sees all your tomorrows. He knows who He wants you to become (Jesus) and where He wants to take you.

He says, “Get up no matter how scared or tired you are. Keep going no matter how guilty or ashamed you might feel. I’ve got you and will never let you go.”

Do you view yourself as your Father does? If so, awesome! Keep letting that wiring in your brain go deeper leading to life transformation.  If not, don’t you think it’s time to focus on the truths about Him that lead to a transformed life?

Just something to think about. And oh yeah, He’s got you in His hands!

One word from God can change the course of your life…positively.

SiriusXM, the satellite radio/entertainment giant, traded for as little as $.09 per share in 2008. Today, it’s around $26!

What if we could see 20 years down the line before making a decision? Would our decisions be any different? Indeed, they would. Why? Information.

As humans, we can only make decisions based on what is already stored in our brains – good/truth and bad/lie. Put there by our and other’s doing.

Can we make choices outside that box? Think about it before you answer. Yes and no.

No, we can’t. We can only make decisions with the information we have in the moment, including our feelings/emotions. And, let’s be transparent. Our emotions often affect our decision making. Like the fear of losing our hard-earned cash; thus, not making the above investment.

Yes, we can; as we access the one who can – God. Through the Spirit, men and women were told the future today. In fact, books of the Bible are filled with such information, like Jeremiah. If people had only listened to and acted on what God told Jeremiah at the time he wrote it, their lives would have been spared.

It’s the same for us. As we actually listen to and act on the truths the Spirit gives us prior to making choices (i.e. “keeping in step with the Spirit”), our lives will be changed forever in a good way as well.

Therefore, here’s a quick reminder to slow down (i.e. take every thought captive) your daily decision-making process! Make sure to access the One who truly knows 20 years down the line; and, can make your life richer in ways stocks can never match.

“Disappointments are God’s way of saying, ‘I got something better. Hold on. Have faith in Me.’”

Jesus knew why He came to earth. He told Nicodemus that the Father loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to bring eternal life. (Jn. 3:16)

Jesus also knew how that would be accomplished. He repeatedly told His disciples that He was going to die a horrible death by flogging and crucifixion and be raised to life. (Matt. 20:17-19)

Yet, even Jesus had two “I don’t understand” moments. When the future was now in the garden, He said, “If it is possible” stop this march to death process. (Matt. 26:39,42) In fact, He was in so much agony that He said, “There’s got to be another way to get eternal life done!” (Lk. 22:44)

During these moments, the Father was silent. Talk about a huge disappointment! Jesus was facing His biggest challenge and His Father was abandoning Him? No, His Father was still there. But as Jesus already knew His Father’s what and how, what more was there for Him to say?

What got Jesus through His “I don’t understand” moment? He let His faith in His Father deepen. He held onto the truth the Father gave Him, “You will come back to life – forever.” He loved His Father through trusting Him.

We all have our “I don’t understand” moments. Expect to face them in the life-transformation process. Let them deepen your faith in and love for the Father by holding onto the specific truth He gave you. This way, you can say what Jesus said, “Your will be done, not mine.”

In those moments, hold on. The best is coming – being like Jesus, life transformation – both now and forever!

Today’s preparation for tomorrow’s purpose.

I recently talked with a brother in Christ, who, due to certain circumstances, was moved by Jesus to another state. The job the Lord used to get him out of CA, however, was not the job the Lord had for him a year later. God prepared him for tomorrow’s purpose in a way only God could do it.

The Apostle Paul was in the exact same position on his second journey. Paul repeatedly tried to get into certain regions of modern-day Turkey. When he couldn’t, he moved on to other regions. Where again, after repeated attempts, he was denied entrance by the Spirit of the Lord. (Acts 16:6-10)

At this point, the Spirit gave Paul a vision of a man begging Paul to come help him. This man, however, was on another continent! Yet Paul was now in a much better position to go where the Lord was moving him all along.

God was preparing both my friend and Paul for the “Oh, now I see it!” moments. Both could finally see what God was doing. He was using today’s apparent obstacles to move them to where He was preparing them to be in both character and location.

Obstacles are real. Disappoints can be confusing, sometimes even hurtful. Yet, maybe, just maybe, it’s time to look back on your life a little differently. Maybe the Spirit is using today’s obstacles and disappoints to prepare you for tomorrow’s purposes.

Hmm? Just something to think about. I know I am.