Viewing My Purpose Through the Lens of Grace

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

Every July, I like to check in and see what kind of progress I’m making with my word for the year. Yes, I know it’s August—I’m behind. Which kind of sums up my year, I think.

My word for the year is purpose. In January, as the new year dawned, I was excited and a little anxious—how would God use this word in my life? I know my overall purpose is to obey him and give him the glory. But what new, deeper purpose would he reveal? What would my purpose require me to do? In what ways would I be challenged? Continue reading “Viewing My Purpose Through the Lens of Grace”

Purpose: My Word for 2022

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I choose a word for the year. I use this word to focus on an area of my life where I believe the Lord wants to make changes or have me grow. In the past, I’ve chosen words such as trust, focus, compassion, bold, and renew. Last year, my word was create.

For the last two years, God has revealed my word to me more slowly than before. I often have my word for the year in November or the first week of January at the latest. I wrote a blog post about my struggle to find the right word. We were almost halfway through January this year before I felt comfortable with the word that kept coming to mind: purpose. Continue reading “Purpose: My Word for 2022”

It’s Not About Me

“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Ps 86:11)

For the last couple of years, I’ve read at least one spiritual growth book every month. From revealing insecurities to inspiring change, God has used the words in these books to provide an avenue of personal and spiritual growth for me.

Recently, I read Free of Me: Why Life Is Better When It’s Not about You by Sharon Hodde Miller. This book spoke to me in a powerful way, and I want to deviate from my normal blog format to share what I learned.

In this book, Miller examines how our insecurities show up in various, hidden ways in our lives. We make things about us that aren’t really about us, and this is a manifestation of our insecurities. Continue reading “It’s Not About Me”