Aligning Our Lives with God's Eternal Purposes
Summary
In today's reflection, we explored the concept of "kingdomizing" our lives, a term that signifies aligning our resources, talents, and appearances with God's eternal purposes. The world often emphasizes external appearances and how we present ourselves to others. However, God is more concerned with the internal beauty of our hearts and souls. This internal beauty, when reflected outwardly, becomes a powerful tool for God's kingdom. We looked at the story of Esther, a woman of great beauty, who initially did not realize that her looks were a divine gift meant for a greater purpose. God placed her in a strategic position to protect His people and fulfill His promises.
The key takeaway is that God desires us to use what He has given us—not just for our own benefit or to impress others, but to serve His kingdom. When we focus on impressing God rather than people, we become vessels for His eternal work. Our external attributes, like beauty or wealth, are temporary and will fade, but the impact of a life lived for God's purposes is everlasting. Therefore, we should strive to cultivate an inner beauty that reflects God's love and righteousness, allowing us to be used by Him in meaningful ways.
Key Takeaways:
1. Kingdomizing Our Lives: The concept of "kingdomizing" involves using our God-given resources and talents for His eternal purposes. It's about aligning our lives with God's kingdom, ensuring that our actions and attributes serve a higher purpose beyond mere human admiration. [00:37]
2. Internal vs. External Beauty: While the world focuses on external appearances, God values the beauty of the heart and soul. When our internal beauty is reflected outwardly, it becomes a powerful tool for God's work, making us useful in His kingdom. [01:09]
3. The Example of Esther: Esther's story teaches us that our attributes, like beauty, can be strategically used by God for His purposes. Her beauty was not just for admiration but was a divine tool to protect God's people and fulfill His promises. [00:37]
4. Impressing God Over People: Our goal should be to impress God rather than people. When God is impressed with us, He can use us for His eternal purposes, which have lasting significance beyond the temporary admiration of others. [01:40]
5. Eternal Impact: The things of this world, such as beauty and wealth, are temporary and will fade. However, a life lived for God's purposes yields eternal dividends, impacting His kingdom in ways that last forever. [01:40]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:37] - Kingdomizing Our Lives
[01:09] - Internal vs. External Beauty
[01:40] - Impressing God Over People
[02:00] - Eternal Impact
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Esther 4:14 - "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"
2. 1 Samuel 16:7 - "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"
Observation Questions:
1. What does the term "kingdomizing" mean in the context of the sermon, and how does it relate to our daily lives? [00:37]
2. How did Esther's beauty play a role in God's plan according to the sermon? [00:37]
3. What is the difference between internal and external beauty as discussed in the sermon? [01:09]
4. According to the sermon, what are some things that fade away over time, and what remains eternal? [01:40]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Esther's story illustrate the concept of using one's attributes for God's purposes? What might this look like in a modern context? [00:37]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that internal beauty can be reflected outwardly, and why is this important for God's kingdom? [01:09]
3. How does the sermon challenge the common societal focus on external appearances? What does it suggest is more important? [01:09]
4. What does it mean to impress God rather than people, and how can this perspective change one's life priorities? [01:40]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there resources or talents you have that could be "kingdomized" for God's purposes? How might you begin to use them in this way? [00:37]
2. Consider a time when you focused more on external appearances than internal beauty. How did that impact your relationship with God and others? [01:09]
3. How can you cultivate internal beauty that reflects God's love and righteousness in your daily interactions? [01:09]
4. Identify an area in your life where you seek to impress others. How can you shift your focus to impressing God instead? [01:40]
5. What steps can you take this week to ensure that your actions and attributes serve a higher purpose beyond mere human admiration? [00:37]
6. Think of a situation where you might be in a strategic position like Esther. How can you use this position to serve God's kingdom? [00:37]
7. How can you remind yourself of the eternal impact of living for God's purposes when faced with the temporary allure of worldly success? [01:40]
Devotional
Day 1: Aligning Resources with God's Eternal Purposes
In our journey of faith, we are called to "kingdomize" our lives by aligning our resources, talents, and appearances with God's eternal purposes. This means that everything we possess, whether it be our skills, time, or material wealth, should be used to serve a higher purpose beyond mere human admiration. By focusing on God's kingdom, we ensure that our actions and attributes contribute to His divine plan. This alignment requires a shift in perspective, where we prioritize God's desires over our own, allowing us to become effective instruments in His hands. [00:37]
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)
Reflection: What specific resource or talent can you dedicate to God's purposes today, and how will you begin to do so?
Day 2: Cultivating Inner Beauty for God's Work
While the world often emphasizes external appearances, God values the beauty of the heart and soul. This internal beauty, when reflected outwardly, becomes a powerful tool for God's work. It is not about how we look on the outside, but about the love, kindness, and righteousness that emanate from within. By cultivating these qualities, we become more useful in God's kingdom, as our lives become a testament to His love and grace. This transformation requires intentional effort to nurture our spiritual lives, allowing God's light to shine through us. [01:09]
"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." (1 Peter 3:3-4, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take today to cultivate inner beauty that reflects God's love and righteousness?
Day 3: Recognizing Divine Purpose in Our Attributes
The story of Esther teaches us that our attributes, such as beauty, can be strategically used by God for His purposes. Esther's beauty was not just for admiration but was a divine tool to protect God's people and fulfill His promises. Similarly, we must recognize that our unique qualities and circumstances are gifts from God, meant to serve His kingdom. By understanding this, we can embrace our roles in God's plan and use our attributes to make a meaningful impact in the world. [00:37]
"And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14, ESV)
Reflection: What unique attribute do you possess that God might be calling you to use for His purposes today?
Day 4: Prioritizing God's Approval Over Human Admiration
Our goal should be to impress God rather than people. When God is impressed with us, He can use us for His eternal purposes, which have lasting significance beyond the temporary admiration of others. This requires a shift in focus from seeking human approval to seeking God's approval, which is rooted in living a life of obedience and faithfulness. By prioritizing God's desires, we align ourselves with His will and become vessels for His work in the world. [01:40]
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life are you seeking human approval over God's, and how can you change that today?
Day 5: Living for Eternal Impact
The things of this world, such as beauty and wealth, are temporary and will fade. However, a life lived for God's purposes yields eternal dividends, impacting His kingdom in ways that last forever. By focusing on what is eternal, we invest in a legacy that transcends our earthly existence. This perspective encourages us to live with intentionality, ensuring that our actions contribute to God's eternal plan and bring glory to His name. [01:40]
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (2 Corinthians 4:16-17, ESV)
Reflection: What is one action you can take today to ensure your life has an eternal impact?
Quotes
"God is interested in is whether we are impressing Him. Whether we take what He has given us in our resources, in our looks, in our habits, and how we relate to other people and whether He can kingdomize it. I love that word, 'kingdomize,' because that means he can stitch it together and use it for eternal purposes." [00:26:13]
"Esther was a beautiful lady, she just hadn't made the connection between her looks and God's kingdom—that God wanted to use the beauty He had given her to place her in a strategic role to protect God's people for God's glory and to be a tool for keeping God's promises." [00:52:38]
"God is not impressed with the external; He likes the internal to be beautiful. But when the external can come up a minute and reflect the beauty on the inside, you then become useful to God because He has a heart and a soul that He can use and it's in a person He can be proud of." [01:09:09]
"So righteously impress others, but, more importantly, impress God. Because when God is impressed with you, you can now be used for eternity and not only to impress folk in time. That will fade away. We get older. The clothes wear out. The money sometimes dries up." [01:30:68]
"But a righteous man or woman who can be used by God for God's purposes, that pays eternal dividends." [01:47:84]
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