Don't Be Offensive
Prayer 365 // Assigned to Thryve (Day 5)
More from this week:
Today's Scripture:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.” - Psalms 139:23-24 NLT & Philippians 3:7-9 NLT
Today's Devotional:
As we wrap up this powerful week of devotion + prayer, I want to encourage you to be effective and not offensive. In Psalm 139:23-24 we see where David has extended an invitation to God to come in and review his heart and examine his thoughts. He gave God complete access to his life! This is an example that each of us should follow, inviting God into our hearts and minds to review its contents.
For some of us we might not be so quick to say such a thing. It reminds me of when someone shows up at your house and you’re apprehensive about letting them in because you didn’t have a chance to clean up. There may be some dishes that need to be washed, a drawer that needs to be closed, or a floor that needs to be swept. In the same way, we prefer to invite God into a clean mind instead of one that’s not so clean. However, it’s impossible to clean our lives without the help of God. Thus the reason David invited God in. If you look at the verses just before, David was speaking of hatred for people and asking God to destroy them, yet he resolved by asking God to examine his heart.
He proceeds to say “Point out anything in me that offends you.” This is where I want to bring your focus to – David wanted to be sure that his life did not offend God. This is major! How shameful it would be to live our lives only to later learn that God considered it all to be offensive to him. A sure way to offend a creator is to use his/her creation outside of its purpose and below its potential. God is our creator. If we (his creation) are living outside our purpose or below our potential, we are living an offensive life.
In our desire to align with our assignment to thryve, we must ask the question: “Am I living out my purpose?" In other words, am I being effective and growing (Genesis 1:28). Then on top of that, "Am I maximizing my potential?” God has invested far too much greatness into our lives for us to live outside of our purpose and beneath our potential.
We find the key to this in David’s next words: “…lead me along the path of everlasting life.” One of our goals as believers is indeed to make it to Heaven, however, Heaven is not the only goal. On our way to heaven, there is a path or course that we must travel on our way. I know we sing the songs “I shall wear a crown” and “Heaven” but while we are here, it’s God’s desire to release Heaven on Earth through each of us. He desires that we experience the culture of heaven while we are yet here on earth, but this can only be done through a life that thryves – a life that is effective and grows.
In the second passage we used today (Philippians 3:7-9), we find the Apostle Paul declaring that he considers everything a loss based on what Jesus did. Paul was highly educated, a pharisee, and a Jew. He had a list of things that made him worthy of boasting, however he considers it all a loss, even garbage for the sake of knowing (experiencing) Jesus. This is also major! While God would certainly use Paul’s education and heritage throughout his ministry, Paul understood that those things had no effect without knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is the most important thing we can do, the benefits are limitless. But there’s one I will point out: in knowing Jesus, you will come to know yourself. And it’s only through the revelation of who you really are that you will be most effective in your time on the earth.
Our goal is not to gain clout but to see the Kingdom of God (Heaven) established in the earth and this can only be done through a life that is effective. Don’t live a life that’s offensive to God. Stick with your purpose and maximize your potential. You’ve been assigned to thryve.
I'm praying for you and with you,
Pastor Enrique Brooks
For some of us we might not be so quick to say such a thing. It reminds me of when someone shows up at your house and you’re apprehensive about letting them in because you didn’t have a chance to clean up. There may be some dishes that need to be washed, a drawer that needs to be closed, or a floor that needs to be swept. In the same way, we prefer to invite God into a clean mind instead of one that’s not so clean. However, it’s impossible to clean our lives without the help of God. Thus the reason David invited God in. If you look at the verses just before, David was speaking of hatred for people and asking God to destroy them, yet he resolved by asking God to examine his heart.
He proceeds to say “Point out anything in me that offends you.” This is where I want to bring your focus to – David wanted to be sure that his life did not offend God. This is major! How shameful it would be to live our lives only to later learn that God considered it all to be offensive to him. A sure way to offend a creator is to use his/her creation outside of its purpose and below its potential. God is our creator. If we (his creation) are living outside our purpose or below our potential, we are living an offensive life.
In our desire to align with our assignment to thryve, we must ask the question: “Am I living out my purpose?" In other words, am I being effective and growing (Genesis 1:28). Then on top of that, "Am I maximizing my potential?” God has invested far too much greatness into our lives for us to live outside of our purpose and beneath our potential.
We find the key to this in David’s next words: “…lead me along the path of everlasting life.” One of our goals as believers is indeed to make it to Heaven, however, Heaven is not the only goal. On our way to heaven, there is a path or course that we must travel on our way. I know we sing the songs “I shall wear a crown” and “Heaven” but while we are here, it’s God’s desire to release Heaven on Earth through each of us. He desires that we experience the culture of heaven while we are yet here on earth, but this can only be done through a life that thryves – a life that is effective and grows.
In the second passage we used today (Philippians 3:7-9), we find the Apostle Paul declaring that he considers everything a loss based on what Jesus did. Paul was highly educated, a pharisee, and a Jew. He had a list of things that made him worthy of boasting, however he considers it all a loss, even garbage for the sake of knowing (experiencing) Jesus. This is also major! While God would certainly use Paul’s education and heritage throughout his ministry, Paul understood that those things had no effect without knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is the most important thing we can do, the benefits are limitless. But there’s one I will point out: in knowing Jesus, you will come to know yourself. And it’s only through the revelation of who you really are that you will be most effective in your time on the earth.
Our goal is not to gain clout but to see the Kingdom of God (Heaven) established in the earth and this can only be done through a life that is effective. Don’t live a life that’s offensive to God. Stick with your purpose and maximize your potential. You’ve been assigned to thryve.
I'm praying for you and with you,
Pastor Enrique Brooks
Did you know that Thryve Church prays together 365 days a year? Join us Monday-Friday at 6:30am & Saturdays at 8am for "Prayer at the Altar" by dialing 339- 207-7471 and then join us Sundays at 11am for Worship Service! Learn More