{Recharge Wednesday LINKUP Party opens below at 6 am on Wednesday – March 4}

Miguel de Unamuno was a Spanish writer, philosopher, and professor of Greek and Classics at the University of Salamanca, where he later became rector. In one of his essays, he tells about the Roman aqueduct found in the city of Segovia, in his country, Spain. The aqueduct, built in 109 A.D., remained actively carrying fresh water from the mountains to the city for eight centuries, quenching the thirst of nearly 60 generations.

Unamono writes: “Then came another generation, a recent one, who said, ‘This aqueduct is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children, as a museum piece. We shall relieve it of its centuries-long labor.’”

And so, they did. The city laid modern iron pipes to bring in water to its streets, thus choosing to “give the ancient bricks and mortar a reverent rest.” Their goal was to preserve this iconic historical landmark for future generations.

Instead, the aqueduct soon started to fall apart. Without the water to irrigate its bricks, the sun hitting the age-old structure dried the mortar, causing it to crumble. The unrepairable dry stones and bricks quickly threatened to fall.

Unamuno’s conclusion gave me pause: “What ages of service could not destroy, idleness disintegrated.”

What ages of service can not destroy, idleness disintegrates. @AJC #TuesdayMotivation #Tuesdaythoughts #service
Click To Tweet

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

These words are recorded in the 20th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the Christian New testament. This chapter narrates the apostle Paul’s third missionary journey throughout Asia Minor, where, accompanied by other early evangelists, the apostle traveled to carry out the Great Commission to the gentiles in Roman Territory, while serving new believers and their communities.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. @AJC #TuesdayMotivation #Tuesdaythoughts #service
Click To Tweet

I thought about those words when our choir director recognized my 20 years of service at our church’s choir this week. My husband and I joined our church in February 2000. That very week, I set foot in the choir room for the first time.

Serving in that choir has not always been convenient, especially since I live 28 miles from my church and therefore, must face the ever-growing Atlanta traffic one extra day every week. Between deadlines, coaching volleyball, and my children’s schedules, life can undoubtedly be hectic. There have also been times during the years when disappointments with people in the choir or physical hardships made me want to step down from serving. But every time I prayed about it, a firm conviction grabbed my heart. Not only does worshiping God in song bring me great joy, but I am also keenly aware that it is while serving others that I wholly fulfill my life’s purpose.

Through the years, I have met many people who were once highly involved serving in their places of worship or communities, but later stopped serving. Many of them stopped attending services altogether, often developing a certain cynicism concerning service and the church. The problem is that such distrust and misanthropy does not remain isolated. If not dealt with quickly and adequately, cynicism can easily spread to our relationship with God and steal our peace.

If not dealt with quickly and adequately, cynicism can easily spread to our relationship with God and steal our peace. @AJC #TuesdayMotivation #Tuesdaythoughts #service
Click To Tweet

I believe there is a reason why we read God’s warnings concerning serving others throughout Scriptures. The gifts and talents God gave us should never be confined to the walls of our homes. God gives us these gifts so we can bless others, and therefore, as Jesus said, we are only indeed “blessed” when we give them away.

Just as the bricks and mortar of the aqueduct of old crumbled down when it stopped serving its purpose, many of God’s people are drying up today. Whether due to disappointments, selfishness or busyness, their life is lacking joy and meaning simply because they stopped the living water from flowing through them to quench the thirst of those God called them to serve.

May the vision of that old aqueduct, standing against the test of time and elements, encourage us not to allow idleness to steal our God-given purpose, and remind us that it is indeed more blessed to give than to receive.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on February 29, 2020. You can find a link HERE. 

LINKUP PARTY opens Wednesday 3/4 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open! Today, @PatHolbrook reminds us of the dangers of idleness concerning Christian service and cynicism concerning the church. Join us and share your blog! #RechargeWednesday #Christianservice
Click To Tweet

The post Could Lack of Purpose be Stealing your Joy? {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

The term “the golden years” was coined in 1959 in an advertising campaign for America’s first large retirement community, located in the middle of the Arizona desert. The advertisers targeted couples, 55 and older, who would embrace retirement as the crowning achievement of a lifetime of hard work by traveling, playing golf, and doing anything but work. The campaign was a success and launched a brand-new, thriving industry focused on helping people achieve their dream of retiring in style.

No wonder Sun City’s model was a success. The idea of a thriving retirement community filled with activities and likeminded people sounded like the perfect solution. Back in the ’50s, retirement was viewed as a time of decline and loneliness, and many seniors would find themselves struggling to find new purpose in life.

I believe the issue is still prevalent today.

Empty nesters who longed for the time when their children would become independent may find themselves staring at vacant bedrooms, feeling dreadfully lonely, abandoned, and even depressed.

Retirees who planned and prepared for their “golden years” with faithful zeal, may find themselves packing suitcases for their next adventure with less zest than anticipated.

But I don’t think the issue of lack of purpose is confined to the “golden years.”

A quick internet search of books on life’s purpose renders an extensive list. Whether secular or faith-based titles, the market seems to be saturated with authors attempting to share their understanding of how to find meaning in life.

A cynic may summarize life as a collection of appointments, to-do lists, good times and heartbreaks. However, that concept completely changes when one finds a higher purpose. More than words in a book or an idea in Scriptures, it is evident that God created us with a longing to make a difference … a heart that yearns to aim for a destination.

More than words in a book or an idea in Scriptures, it is evident that God created us with a longing to make a difference … a heart that yearns to aim for a destination. #MondayMotivation #Monday Devotional @AJC
Click To Tweet

A life without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder. Or like Alice in Wonderland. Bear with me.

If you’ve read the book or watched the movie, you may remember a conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat, when Alice asks: “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” The elusive cat answered: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” “I don’t much care where,” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” the cat replied.

I believe many of us are living like Alice. We may have started the course with a clear direction. Then, life happened. We became too busy. Too tired. Too angry. And then, we lost focus.

The direction, once as bright as a summer day, now lacks clarity. God’s voice, once loud and decisive, becomes fogged by the weight of our doubts. We are confident we belong somewhere, but simply do not know how to get there.

The direction, once as bright as a summer day, now lacks clarity. God’s voice, once loud and decisive, becomes fogged by the weight of our doubts. #MondayMotivation #Monday Devotional @AJC
Click To Tweet

If you are a person of faith, you may be wondering … Is there sin in my life that prevents me from finding the path back to a clear purpose?

Maybe. Then again, maybe not. I would like to offer a different possibility.

Could it be that the destination never changed, the calling was never withheld, but rather, you stopped moving toward the right direction by becoming distracted by less important things? Could it be that what you lack is simply focus?

Fulfilling life’s purpose is not an undecipherable mystery. It is a deliberate pursuit.

Intentionality and focus propel. Procrastination and confusion stall. One of these pairs will inevitably become protagonists of every story. That idea alone should challenge anyone whose life lacks purpose.

Fulfilling life’s purpose is not an undecipherable mystery. It is a deliberate pursuit. Intentionality and focus propel. Procrastination and confusion stall.
Click To Tweet

As a big birthday greets me next week, and even though I am still a bit far from the “golden years,” I am challenged to keep intentional about God’s calling to my life, and not become distracted with what everyone else is or is not doing. I am challenged to focus on my God-given purpose, keep my ears tuned to his voice, that I may not miss one single step along the way.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, June 8, 2019.

The post Life without a Purpose {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.