Day 21: It All Starts with God

I have been wanting to read the book, The Purpose Driven Life for quite sometime.  I finally picked it up and started reading the first chapter.  First of all it is somewhat like a 40 day devotions challenge.  I think that is really great but I like to jump around and read different things every day.  So, we will see.  I definitely want to take the challenge, it just probably won't be 40 days in a row.

"It is God who directs the lives of His creatures, everyone's life is in His power."  Job 12:10

"Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open , into a spacious free life."  Romans 8:6

"Self-help is no help at all.  Self-sacrifice is the way , my way, to finding yourself, your true self."  Matthew 16:25

"God's wisdom... goes deep into the interior of His purposes... It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest--what God determined as a way to bring out the best in us."  I Corinthians 2:7

"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.  Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone."  Ephesians 1:11

This chapter just confirmed what I was thinking about yesterday.  It is God's story not my story.  He is the one that directs me and my life is in His hands.  I shouldn't be directing my attention on me and my life but I should be directing my attention onto God.  He is the one that can lead me into a spacious free life.  God can bring out the best in me, if I let Him.  He can direct me and He has a purpose for me.  I really need to start asking Him about my purpose.

I was thinking that this is hard because I live my life.  My life is the story with me as the main character.  I really want to change that.  I want God to be the main character in my story.  I guess it's hard because when you are a mom, your life seems to revolve around your kids.  At least for me, I want whats best for my kids and what is best for my husband.  

God help me to remember that I am nothing but a "helper" and servant to you.  Help me to remember where my place in this world is and that I am part of your story.  This life is not about me but it is about you.  You are God and I am not.  Everything I am and everything that I have is because of you.  Lord, show me my purpose.  Please Lord, I want to know what it is that you want me to do with my life.  I can pick my career and my husband but you pick my purpose.  Please reveal that to me Lord.

And on a separate note, I have been struggling with my lack of confidence.  I'm worried about teaching because I believe that I'm just not good enough or smart enough.  I worry about what others think of me.  I believe that people talk about my house, and that it is too small and needs updates and we aren't taking care of it as we should.  I worry about the way that I look and how I dress.  I don't seem to care enough about it to change but I'm always thinking that others are talking behind my back.  I don't have the money to change these things.  But even if I did, I would want to please you first and foremost.  God, please show me how you think of me.  Please help me to have confidence through you.  


These thoughts and comments were taken from the book, The Purpose Driven Life written by Rick Warren.