nWhat is Your Purpose in Life?[1]

 

  1. Life is filled with “Decision Points”where there are only two ways to live. We can take action by deciding (choosing) to live a life of Pleasing God as Jesus did or Pleasing Self as we all tend to do. In 2 Cor. 5:9-10, God is urging us that living a life pleasing to Him brings eternal rewards. Our culture temps us to seek temporal rewards.

 

2 Corinthians 5:9-10
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

 

  1. Pleasing Self is the easier way that tends to become harder. “Self” is on the throne of our lives.  Pleasing God with our finances can bring restoration to the soul and can free us from fear and anxiety.

Examples include: Laziness-Lack of Effort; Overspending; Impulse Buying; Hoarding for Self; Trusting in Myself Savings or Job vs. God; Never Being Satisfied and Always Wanting More; Lying; Deceiving or Dishonesty; Hasty Decisions or Lack of Planning; Allowing Our Emotions to Dictate our Investment Decisions.

 

  1. Pleasing God is the hard way that tends to becomes easier. “Jesus Christ” is on the throne of our lives.

Examples include: Working to Fulfill My Responsibilities; Creating a Budget and Sticking to It; Saving for Future Purchases; Giving to Others; Exercising Faith by Trusting in God for the Future; Honesty; Seeking Wise Counsel and Choosing to follow a Disciplined Investment Process in an effort to Avoid Emotion Driven Investment Mistakes.

  1. Pleasing Self is based on Feelings and is a Temporal perspective that can leave us in discontent, always wanting more and unfulfillment. Pleasing God is based on Scripture and is an Eternal perspective that can lead to contentment, gratitude for God’s provision and joy.

 

  1. Below the surface is what the bible calls “the heart”. The heart is the source of all behavior and change. We walk in wisdom when we continually “check our heart” at life Decision Points.

 

Proverbs 4:23
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

 

Luke 6:43-45
For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44  “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45  “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

 

  1. The heart is synonymous with mind, emotion and will, along with spirit and soul. The heart is the location of our Motives and the place where Christ or some personal treasure is enthroned.

 

Matthew 15:18-19
But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

 

To determine the motives of our heart, we can ask ourselves the question “If I don’t have __________ I’m miserable.

 

Dr. Edward T. Welch in his excellent article “Motives: Why Do I Do the Things I Do?” clearly explains how the motives of our heart determine the direction we will go at the “Decision Points” in life. As an example, in our modern-day culture in America, many would answer the motives question in this way: “If I don’t have Success (meaning more money) I’m miserable.”

 

What is the motive of your heart? How would you fill in the blank in the above question?

 

  1. Change that lasts has to do with changing the heart (its purpose) and the mind (its thinking). Key components of heart and mind change are the Three Mottos to Please God.

[1]Y-Diagram by Randy Patton and Mark Dutton with modifications by Rob Black in “Picture This . . . Diagrams to Make Scriptural Truths Clear” 2014, pages 14-15.