It's The Nonstick Life for Us!

I hate when I am cooking and forget to take into account the stick factor. Like when you bake something in a pan that you think is non-stick, but it isn't.

I was thinking today as I made a homemade pizza for lunch that certain life situations can be likened to food sticking to pans. Let me explain. :)

When I was in college, there was this guy at my church that I really liked. But I noticed that when he was not there, my enthusiasm for being at church was not as strong. I realized that I was allowing myself to associate church with this guy instead of with my love for God! I was allowing my affections to stick to this guy, whose friendship really helped me to draw closer to God. See, it's like he was a cake pan, a mere vessel helping me to experience God's love. But my heart, which was like the cake itself, was getting attached to the love of God I saw in HIM rather than the love itself, which being from God can be found even without Church Guy Friend. Even if I had ended up marrying this guy and spending the rest of my life with him, my attachment to him would have been dangerous. My love and understanding of God would have been limited by this guy's limitations, which would have been tragic given how pure and powerful God's love is when untethered.

And you know what? This can happen in anything. We can build our whole lives around things that take our attention away from our true purpose. Career, or even your life's calling to do something really good, can be like this. Let's say you are longing to make a lasting impact with your life, which is wonderful! So you live your life to accomplish that goal. Let's say I build my life around building Lily Inc. The only problem is that, one fine day, Lily Inc. will be no more. And if in my mind, that was my life's purpose, I will be thrust into depression and feelings of having no purpose.

Or if I am a parent, and I make my life all about serving my kids, this is damaging. Of course, loving one's children is a wonderful and God-given thing. But it was never meant to be your life's purpose. When your children grow up and move away, you will feel purposeless when they don't need you in the same way they used to. For some people, this will bring them to try to force their kids to need them, which is unhealthy for their kids as well as for them.

So what is the solution? What IS your life's purpose? Well, you were created to receive God's love and to love Him back. As we come to know our amazing, beautiful Heavenly Father, we will come to know who we are and how to love others well. There's really no greater thing in life. Now, all the other things like parenthood, relationships, starting companies, serving others, etc. will have the right purpose. You'll see that those things have a place in this life, but you see that they are only means to an end. And this is easy when you give credit to God for all the good things you have. It is He that gives you creative ideas, money, kids, spouses, and good relationships. In fact, those who love you and do good to you can only do it because God works inside of them to love you through them! WOW!

It's the same with us. If we realize that He is the one who compels us to love, we can enjoy the journey of learning to love instead of getting sidetracked by hoping in fleeting things! Furthermore, we will learn to love in ways we wouldn't without His help (i.e. forgiving those who hurt us, loving more people than we thought we could, loving in ways that bring healing from deep soul wounds and depression). God is the very substance of love, so everyone who loves does so by His strength. In starting Lily Inc., I show my love for the God who has loved me by telling other women how much He loves them. And once they know, I'm glad to see that, but I don't base my identity on how well I do it. And I also love that the journey of my being His mouthpiece is one that makes me adore Him more!

So let God show you your purpose in life. Allow Him to tell you how all the things you are excited about fit into the bigger picture of loving Him. Get excited about the journey, and don't get stuck to the cake pans. That would be like letting the best part of your vacation be the airplane ride. NO! Life is so much greater. Live for eternity, and delight in His love along the way. Cheers.