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Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. in all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. --Psalm 1:1-4 We all have one basic choice that we must make every day: to live for Christ or to live for ourselves. And the result of that choice will be either good fruit or useless chaff. That word “chaff” may not mean a lot in our 21st century world, but it was a powerful picture in an agricultural society. Chaff was the husks that needed to be separated from the grain of wheat if the wheat was to be used.  So the farmer would throw the grain into the air and the lighter, useless chaff would be blown away by the wind. That’s the picture of a life lived for self.  A life that is blown around by the winds of life.  Unstable and unsure. But Psalm 1:1-3 gives us the other side of the story. It says that a person who walks with the Lord, who does not seek the counsel of or confide in sinners, but who trusts in God, will stand strong like a tree with deep roots that cannot be blown about. On our own…living for ourselves…we are weak and get tossed about by all the winds of life. But living for God, in His strength, we can stand strong and tall against the strongest gales of life. So the choice you have is clear. You can either stand in faith, or fall in failure. Which will you choose today? If you live for Christ you won’t be blown around by the winds of the world.

Living on Purpose

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
John 18:36–37

Social scientists tell us that one of the most common questions people ask is, “Why am I here?” Christians and the unsaved alike have the innate knowledge that we were created for a reason, even though some go to great lengths to deny even the existence of God. There is still something within us that longs for meaning and purpose in life. There was no question in the heart and mind of Jesus as to what He was meant to accomplish. He had the confidence in His mission that kept Him going in the face of obstacles and opposition. We need that same level of intentional living so that our lives are not wasted on things that do not matter.
Nearly twenty-five years ago, when our children were still young, Terrie and I wrote out a purpose statement for our family. When it was complete, each member of the family signed it. The Chappell Family Purpose Statement says, “The purpose of our family is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ through obedience to His Word, and by edifying and exhorting one another.”
You might not write out a purpose statement, but it is vital that you understand that you have a purpose, and that purpose is to glorify God with your life. It is easy to go through life aimlessly, unless we remember that God created us with a purpose to glorify Him.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Having a definite purpose for your life is vital to staying on task.