God’s Big Goal For Your Life
It’s One Word and It’s Really, Really Good!
In his book Raving Fans, Ken Blanchard makes the point that one of the best ways to increase the motivation level of any team is to help them see and then keep reminding them of the end-goal benefit their efforts are producing.
It can be hard for someone doing the same repetitive work over and over again to stay motivated. Some variety helps keep things fresh, but beyond that, being able to see the end goal and the end result of our work gives us renewed energy and focus.
When I see that the screw I helped make is helping people build things that make their lives better, then I see an important purpose in my work. When I see people getting healthier because of the food I grow, that’s inspiring.
In a similar way, when I see some of the end goals God has for my life, it motivates me to keep following Jesus, to keep pressing on, even when life is tough.
Zeroing in On the Most Important Foundations
My Bible has over 1100 pages of God-inspired words. That’s a lot of material to learn and internalize.
It’s true, God doesn’t just give us principles and methods, He also gives lots of stories, poems, proverbs, songs, and prayers to help us. But because there are so many scenarios in life, God gives us a wide range of knowledge we can take advantage of and that means a good bit of material.
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all of it. In Romans 12: 9–21, Paul lists 24–25 actions and traits that Christians are encouraged to practice. That’s in just a couple of densely packed paragraphs out of those 1100 pages.
In the entire Bible, all those pages are filled with important words from God Himself. How can I make it part of me without drowning in all of those divine truths?
How can I receive those words in such a way that it gives me life, as God intends, rather than being a heavy, unreachable burden?
The most important step for anything promised or required in Scripture is to be solidly grounded in the fact that Jesus paid fully for all our sins, and that we are saved only by the gift of God’s grace received by faith. (Ephesians 2:8–9)
When we stay in the “Grace Zone”, then the pressure of “doing” is lifted, and we can rest in what Jesus has already “done” to make us right with God. If we ever move out of that zone, we shift into our doing everything right to have acceptance with God, and then we’ve lost.
But when we keep our soul in the fact that the only way to be right with God is by receiving Jesus’ own righteousness as a gift, not a reward, then we can have peace with God and grow without feeling condemned. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1)
But when it comes to internalizing and living out God’s word, then….
Identify and Prioritize
Two of the most peace-giving and life-producing steps are to identify and prioritize the most important teachings of Scripture. Yes, though all Scripture is God-breathed, some are more important, more foundational than others.
For example, Jesus Himself said Loving God and then Loving our Neighbor as ourselves was THE GREATEST commandment. In 1 Corinthians 15:2–5 Paul wrote about what was of “first importance”; the Gospel.
When building a house, first the foundation and framework must be laid and set in place well. If they are right, then the builder can add everything else and it will be a good house. But if the foundation is off, in time, everything else will have trouble as well (we’ve all seen pictures of the Leaning Tower of Pisa).
The same is true for us. As God “builds” His purposes and plans in us, He wants to make sure our foundation and framework are good. 1 Corinthians 3 tells us that we are co-laborers with God in the building process, so our cooperation matters. Though God is the builder, He has chosen to work with us, not just working on us.
What are God’s Big Goals for Us?
There are several ways to describe what God wants to accomplish in our lives, but I’m going to make this as simple as possible so that it is easy to remember with one word.
Here’s the WORD:
“Fruitful”. Summed up in this one power-packed word, God’s goal for you is that you be fruitful.
The very first words ever spoken to the representative first people ever were “Be FRUITFUL….” Genesis 1:27
Think about that for just a moment. Of all the words God could have said to those created in His image, His focused, declared will for them was and is, “Be Fruitful.”
That initial goal has not changed.
In John 15, Jesus used this same word repeatedly in identifying what God wanted to do in our lives:
“Every branch in me that does not bear FRUIT, he takes away, and every branch that does bear FRUIT he prunes that it may bear more FRUIT.” (John 15:2)
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear FRUIT by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much FRUIT, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much FRUIT and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8)
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear FRUIT and that your FRUIT should abide so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)
Again, God’s goal for all of us is that we should bear “much fruit” and that our “fruit should remain.”
What is Biblical Fruitfulness?
To keep it brief and simple, here are 4 main ways to describe biblical fruitfulness:
- Fellowship: with God; ever deepening relationship with Him. (John 17:3)
- Form: being shaped, formed into the image of Jesus. (Romans 8:29)
- Fill: being filled with the life, love, character, wisdom, and power of Jesus. (Ephesians 4:10)
- Flow: the life of God flowing out of us to others in purpose-driven work and ministry. (John 4:11)
We BECOME Fruitful Over Time
Two of the main word pictures the Bible uses to describe how God’s kingdom operates are regarding agriculture and construction. Seeds sown in soil that grow. Foundations are laid and houses are built on top of that foundation.
Both of those are processes that take a combination of the right ingredients and time. A tree does not grow overnight and a home is not built in a few hours.
The same is true as God works in our lives to make us fruitful. A baby tree doesn’t yet have the capacity to grow fruit. It has to reach a certain level of maturity before it can do that.
We can’t move into a house until it has reached a certain level of completeness. It doesn’t have to be perfect to move in, but it does need some essentials.
God is the Master Builder, the Expert Farmer
In our lives, God, the master farmer and builder, is using His Word, Spirit, people, and circumstances to help us grow, to prune us, and to make us strong and fruitful branches. He is building on the only foundation, Jesus, to make us prepared for the on-going filling and forming of the Holy Spirit. (We are temples of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 6:17)
When we understand this is God’s biggest goal for us: Fruitfulness out of fellowship, forming, filling, and flowing then we can better cooperate with Him in this wonderful process.
We will never understand all that THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN is doing in our lives, but we can rest assured, all of it can be used for good when we love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:29)
God uses the warm sun of His love and blessings as well as dark rain and painful pruning to maximize our fruitfulness. He is wisely working as only He can to form, fill, and flow through us so that we become abundantly and enduringly fruitful.
If you want more resources on how to fellowship with God, be formed, filled, and flow with God, take a look at www.TruVineMission.com
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