I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Philippians 3:10–11 (NLT)
God’s plans for you are absolutely huge. According to Psalm 139:13, God formed your inward parts. He placed gifts and abilities inside you so you could achieve amazing things in this lifetime. You can’t even imagine the great plan He’s prepared for you or how He aims to use you for His exciting purposes (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Not only that, but God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think, according to the power that works in you (Ephesians 3:20). It’s clear that God wants you blessed in this lifetime; however, He also wants you to live a life of phenomenal purpose.
You need both: blessing and purpose. Paul knew this well. He often wrote of God’s great plans for us, but he also prayed that he wanted to suffer with Jesus. Seems contradictory, but we can understand Jesus’ sufferings and His compassion as well as His power. While living a life full of blessings and fun, we can be filled with Jesus’ compassion and remain focused on blessing others. This is the best way to live, because just focusing on our own blessings will make us feel empty. We need our hearts to remain soft so we don’t ignore the suffering of others.
Believe for every one of God’s promises, but never forget that you’re here for a purpose. The mission God has for you is the most important thing on this planet, because your actions enlarge heaven!