How Do You View Your Life?
Do you envision yourself succeeding in the future, or do you consider how your life might navigate the ups and downs that come with it? Too often, people go about their daily routines without considering how their lives will turn out. For many, just getting through each day seems sufficient. However, we often overlook the long-term outcomes of our actions.
What Are You Building Your Life On?
As believers, we need to understand that we can build our lives like a house of cards, or we can construct them on the solid foundation of the Word of God. The success of our lives hinges on how we build them and what we build them upon. Your life will be built on something. Some people base their lives on personal desires, others on societal trends, and some on selfish motivations. Regardless, unless your life is founded on the Word of God, it is ultimately no more substantial than wood, hay, and stubble. In this blog, we will delve into how Paul will instruct Timothy on how to build the house of his ministry. If built wrong, your life or ministry will never endure the trials and storms of this life, let alone the judgment that follows in the next life.
Building an Ark (your life) That Will FLOAT!
Matthew 7:24-26 states, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Jesus had been ministering to the masses on the kingdom and its principles. He had spoken about all your needs being met. He then declared in Matthew 6:31-34, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
To seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness opens the door to provision, and all these things shall be added to you, becomes the promise. He went on to say, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself.” This is an excellent principle about trusting and asking God to meet your needs. You can be assured that Heaven will meet all the needs that are kingdom-minded and kingdom-honoring. You lack nothing in building the ark of your life and ministry that God called you to. After this, He makes the statement on how to build your spiritual house, and the house of your life. Having the Word and not using it has no value. In fact, it had the opposite effect. Knowing the truth and not applying it will be destruction when the storms come. Our goal is to stir you to build the ark of your life on the Word of God.
Noah’s Ark: A Model of Obedience and Protection
In Genesis 6:13-18, God tells Noah that there is coming a day of great judgment.
“And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under Heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.”
All flesh shall be destroyed, but God will establish His covenant with Noah and his sons. Therefore, they will be the ones to enter the ark and be safe. Everything depends on how Noah builds the ark. The storms are coming, and will come, but how we build our lives is crucial for our success both in this life and the next. God has made a covenant with us through Jesus Christ. For Noah, this was a matter of life and death; he had to construct the ark to withstand God’s judgment.
Let’s explore several principles that will help keep our lives on track so that the decisions we make honor the Word of God. By doing so, we can ensure that we stay on the right path as we build our lives and spiritual journeys, enabling us to withstand the storms of life.
God Provides the Material for the Ark of Your Life to Float.
1 Timothy 1:1-2 states, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Your calling is tied to God’s command, and your purpose holds significant value in His kingdom. Just as Paul was called to fulfill a specific task, so too is your life meant to have a meaningful impact in this world. When God sets a command, He ensures that all your needs are met so you can be most effective in your calling.
John 14:13-14 states, “and whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” With this provision, we need to align our purpose with the command and calling in our lives. In this, we can have confidence that whatever we need to accomplish God’s goal will be provided.
Hebrews 10:24-25 states, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
BE CONNECTED!
The second essential aspect is being connected to and involved in a strong local church. Encouraging one another in faith helps us all rise to fulfill the unique purpose we each have in God’s kingdom and calling. By using our gifts within the local church, we stay sharp in our spiritual journey. In this environment, we can both inspire others and be inspired ourselves, helping us remain steadfast as we grow in our faith.
Add to this the power of your testimony. 1 Timothy 1:12-16 Paul writes, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.”
Your testimony is a constant reminder of all that God has done for you. This victory we now walk in, because of His mercy and grace, keeps a genuine, humble attitude with us always. As we walk in our calling, the constant freshness of the ministry of Jesus in and through our lives keeps us in a state of never-ending thanksgiving for all that God has done for us. Your witness is the power tool that keeps you on track in the calling of God.
Remember, the God that brought you out of the power of your past is the one that will get you into the eternal victory of your future. And a GLORIOUS FUTURE it will be! Hallelujah!
The Word of God: The Key to Prosperity and Success
Joshua 1:8 states, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Joshua’s path to success was rooted in knowing and meditating on God’s Word both day and night. His ability to fulfill his purpose depended on his understanding of every covenant, promise, and directive found in the Scriptures.
By knowing the Word, maintaining steadfast fellowship with other believers, and remembering all that God has done for you, you can establish a solid foundation. From there, you can move forward to prosper in the things God has spoken to you.
Stand Steadfast in Prophetic Direction
In this scripture, Paul now tells Timothy to stand steadfast in the prophetic of God for His life. Where and how the anointing operates in your life is connected to the prophetic calling that resides in every believer. 1 Timothy 1:18-19 states, “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.”
Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” This highlights the uniqueness of your calling within the body of Christ and guides you toward the path that God has specifically planned for you.
2 Chronicles 20:20 states, “So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.’”
The success of Judah against the armies of Amon, Moab, and Mount Seir relied entirely on their understanding and acting upon the specific prophetic word given for their victory. Jehoshaphat reminded them that by believing in the Lord—and knowing the Lord means knowing His Word—they would be firmly established. Sound doctrine keeps you steadfast. From this foundation comes the prophetic insight needed to move forward with the specific word that would lead them to victory.
You and I need to know the voice of the Holy Spirit, as He will take everything that belongs to Jesus and reveal it to us (John 16:13-15). The specific purposes and the unique direction of our lives are presented by the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, working with the revelation of the Word that is in us.
Know The Signs of the Time!
Understanding the signs of the times and the false doctrines operating in the present keeps us constantly aware of what is happening in the world.
Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”
And again in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
If there is anything that could drill holes in your ark, it would be false doctrine and missing the present state of things.
Ignorance of current situations in the world can lead us to false hope and cause us to become slack in the forward progress of our lives. We could miss the deadline for the ark to be finished, leaving us unprepared when trial, opposition, or sickness attacks our home, ministry, or lives.
Finally, for this blog, keeping our own hearts guarded and taking constant heed to the work and the calling that we each possess is paramount to staying focused.
Guard Your Heart & Calling
1 Timothy 4:12-16 states, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
Although none of us knows the day or hour of our own departure, and we may not fully understand all that God has planned for us in this life, we can strengthen ourselves and others by paying constant attention to His Word. By doing so, we can build our lives and help others build theirs to a standard that will withstand whatever challenges come our way.
Building a Life to Withstand Every Storm
We can be confident that, as we reflect on two essential scriptures—Mark 16:15, which calls us to go and preach the gospel to all nations (making our lives a witness for the salvation of others), and Matthew 28:18-19, which emphasizes that with all His authority, we should make disciples of all nations (using our lives and personal ministries to encourage others to pursue their paths and build their lives to succeed)—we have a solid foundation for fulfilling our prophetic calling. By relying on these scriptures, we will construct the ark of our life to withstand any challenges that come our way, inspiring those around us and within our sphere of influence to do the same.
Today, let’s decide to build our lives like arks to withstand whatever comes against us, and, with that, life continues to encourage others to do the same.
Call to Action:
- Always remember that your calling is connected to a command of God. Your purpose is important, and your life and calling serve as an ark for both yourself and others.
- You’re building your life and home to withstand all the enemy’s attacks. Know the Word, and obey the Word!
- Keep yourself in fellowship with other believers. Find a good, solid Word-preaching church and get involved. It will keep you doctrinally sound.
- Keep the testimony of God’s victory in your life prominent. It will help you stay focused and pure in direction, while also serving as a light for someone else.
- Guard yourself daily with the Word. Remember that souls being saved and discipled are God’s most important work!
May the ark of your life float to the shore of eternity,
