Impact

It’s been a while since my last blog about China. I am still processing everything God is showing me and transforming in me from that trip but also have not taken the time to get it down in writing and I feel its slipping away. 

As I stated before, the last few mission trips I have taken have really impacted my life and heart. I feel really close to God, useful for the kingdom, filled with passion to be effective from mission trips. I have been thinking about why these last few trips have hit me this way and I realized a common thread - I have felt used by God in a meaningful way. I then realized something:

The times I am impacted the most are the times I feel I am making the most impact. 

We all know that the best place in all the world is to be right in the center of God's will; to be used the way He desires and has planned; to be living out the very purpose of your existence and salvation. Ro. 12:2 tells us that God's will is good, pleasing, and perfect. Eph. 2:10 tells us that as believers we are the work of God's hands and we have been regenerated with spiritual life to live out the things God has planned for us. As we live our lives in His perfect will we then experience the pleasure God intends and desires for us to know. For me, this happens most when I feel used by God to make an impact in the life of another. 

So I am thinking I need to find how I can be making a significant impact in the lives of people where God has me on a regular basis. I want to make sure this is what I am working towards because that is when I feel most impacted and transformed by God. Serv

ing others enhances and stimulates my personal sanctification, which is one of the primary goals of the Christian life.

It's magnificent to see God's design work in such perfect harmony. His greatest desire is for us to love Him and love others; He desires for us to grow in our reflection and glory of Him (sanctification). To be and do what God has saved us for works together in a divinely ordered way. We must serve others to know and love God deeper, we must love others to grow in our reflection and glory of Him, we must impact the lives of others to experience a greater impact from God. In God's system everyone wins. He is glorified, people are served, and believers are sanctified. Awesome!

I want to experience this on a daily basis. I want what I do everyday to make an impact in the life of another. Why? To experience and reflect the love of God, to grow in sanctification, to experience the perfect and pleasing will of God. These recent mission trips have show me that I might not be focused on that which is actually making an impact quite enough. 

My goal today is to increase my productivity and have a greater focus in the areas that actually make an impact in the lives of others. I want to participate in my sanctification by cooperating with God's design and purpose. Love God, love others = be transformed!