One Purpose: God's Glory

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:8-11
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Observations:
This passage jumped out at me this morning because of the way it speaks to us in situations were people are struggling be united in purpose.  With it being the end of the year, everybody is tired right now.  Everybody is ready for summer.  Everybody is feeling just a little overwhelmed by tests and projects and making plans.  And everyone is just a little on edge.

But this passage says that there is one bandage that take care of all that grumbling and frustration that seems to infiltrate every relationship this time of year: love.  What if we all refocused on loving each other?  What if every one of us decided to fully use whatever gift God has given us to love and serve others?  This passage reminds us that the grace, truth, and strength we need in order to do this are already within us.  And if we are going to be "faithful stewards of God's grace," then we have some gifts to start giving.

Application:
The way this passage ends reminds me of a very important phrase that God has replayed in my mind over and over since I first heard it 12 years ago.  One Purpose: God's Glory.  The summer that I worked at Young Life camp, that phrase was the theme of our work crew.  It was our measuring stick for every decision we made.  It was the glue that kept us from scattering in 50 selfish directions when we were tired.  We were all committed to that one purpose.  There were days where we literally had to tattoo it on ourselves (and under the bills of our mesh trucker hats-- thank you, 2003!) with Sharpies to remind us what our purpose was.  But because we all agreed on that purpose, we were able to love each other deeply, offer hospitality to campers, show grace, speak truth, and serve with strength that we ourselves didn't have.  And the result was that God was glorified.

So this morning, I'm writing this on my hand with a fat permanent marker again because I need a constant reminder today of what my purpose is.

With my family, I have one purpose: God's glory.
On these stressful/ test-full days at school, one purpose: God's glory.
FpStudent Leaders, no matter what, we have one purpose: God's glory.
Students, this weekend whether you are at Fuel or at a party, one purpose: God's glory.
In my thought life, I should have one purpose: God's glory.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, you are so good.  Thank you for your infinite grace.  Thank you that when my thought life is just flooded with stress and negativity and exhaustion, you show up and remind me that you give me enough grace and enough truth and enough strength to fulfill your good purpose for me: Your glory.  Thank you so much for being enough.  Lord, help me to love deeply.  Help me to be wholly motivated by that one purpose: Your glory.  Keep that on the forefront of my mind today.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…
Miranda