Some people have suffered so much setback they find it easier to lessen their expectation and just embrace dysfunction rather than risking the pain disappointment, but the place of expectation is where hopes and dreams are at their best.
There is purpose and there is pain.
The pathway to purpose is always filled with pain. If you focus on the purpose it will push you through the pain.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. NIV
We must learn to live purposeful lives if we are to get past our pain, our problems and our dysfunction. Do you believe God has a purpose for you?
Philippians 3:12 “…I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. NIV
Sometimes we settle not because we can’t achieve it but because we feel we don’t deserve it. If we’re not careful we identify more w our dysfunction than we do with our destiny.
Events of your life may explain you but they don’t have to define you.
When we were born our identity is born into dysfunctional by the fallen Adam. When we are born again the risen Christ redeems our identity.
At first glance of Israel’s twelve sons you simply see the names of children born into his family. Further evaluation of the progression of these twelve sons tells a fascinating story.
Amazingly the birth of the twelve sons of Israel qualifies for possibly the most dysfunctional family in the history of the world. Jacob wanted to marry Rachel but was tricked into marrying her unattractive older sister after working for seven years. He then had to commit to seven more years to be given the love of his life. The animosity, jealousy and pain of this situation must have been beyond our wildest imagination.
Leah, who was not Jacob’s first choice, conceived first and gave birth to Reuben, then Simeon and then Levi. This entire time Rachel could not conceive so she provided a maid to conceive on her behalf named Bilhah. Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali before Leah decided to get her maid, Zilpah, in on this situation now with four women trying to have a baby by Jacob.
Zilpah gave birth to Gad and then to Asher. Then Leah conceived again giving birth to Issachar and then Zebulun. At last Rachel conceived and gave birth to Joseph. Finally Rachel conceived for the last time and died during child birth naming the child Ben Oni but Jacob changed his name to Benjamin.
A closer examination to this dysfunctional progression reveals that God was actually writing a story through it all. The reality that God could write a story in this very complicated family situation gives us all hope that if he can use them then certainly he can use our dysfunctional situation. The names actually have meanings that tell a story.
Reuben: He has seen my misery
Simeon: One who hears
Levi: Attached
Judah: Praise
Dan: He has vindicated me.
Naphtali: My struggle
Gad: Good fortune.
Asher: Happy
Issachar: Reward
Zebulun: Honor
Joseph: May he add
With Rachel’s last breath she named her son Ben Oni meaning “son of my trouble”. Jacob stepped in here saying no he’ll not be known for misery and trouble but he’ll be known as Benjamin which means, “son of my right hand.”
Take a look at the message of these names in progression and how it tells our story of finding Jesus. He saw our misery. He heard our cry. We became attached to him. We began to praise him. He vindicated us against our enemies. We struggled at times in the process. Good fortune came as we did not give up in times of struggle. Happy were we when rewarded and honored for our faithfulness. God added to our lives through Christ. Notice this very interesting concluding son. He was first named Ben Oni by a suffering mother who knew death. The father changed this name saying he won’t be known for suffering and death but rather he’ll be known as Benjamin, which means son of my right hand. Just as Jesus would suffer and die. The Father would raise him from the dead and seat him at his right hand. This is also where we are now seated in Christ. We are part of this family tree! We are God's family, the family of the forgiven!
We are inclined to identify with dysfunction. We are designed to identify with destiny.
It is interesting that after everything that took place with Leah being the unwanted bride in the seemingly broken and dysfunctional marriage great blessing resulted. So many times, this is where God does his best work for us to see. Leah was the bride who had to feel unloved on the deepest personal level having been given to Jacob who actually wanted to marry her sister. Genesis 49 explains how in the end Jacob gave instructions to be buried in the family tomb not with Rachel but with Leah. In fact Rachel was buried in an unmarked tomb, alone after she died in Genesis 35. Later in this text we see Jacob asking to be buried with Leah.
Genesis 49:29-31 Then he charged them and said to them: "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers…There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. NIV
In addition to all of this the lineage of Jesus was actually established through this broken relationship as Judah born of Leah, this bride who had to struggle personally on the deepest level imaginable. Eternal purpose outweighs our temporal pain.
May God give us the grace to focus on the eternal purposes of God in the midst of all the pain this life can bring. Lift up your heads oh ye gates! Behold the eternal perspective of God! We see Jesus constantly looking up in Scripture – Lazarus tomb, feeding the 5,000, etc. It is as if he’s looking up to rise above the circumstances at hand that are clamoring for his attention.
Psalm 24:1-10 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. NIV
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Lift your countenance in prayer very intentionally this week focusing on the eternal purposes of God. #TurnThePage
Discussion Guide for Community Leaders
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: We are growing in the understanding that our weakness is not what keeps us from the purposes of God. Our weakness is what drives us into deeper reliance upon Him.
2 Cor 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. NIV
We want to start our group meetings making room for conversation that brings confirmation that God is speaking to us all as we discuss what we are hearing from the Lord as a family:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
The pathway to purpose is always filled with pain. If you focus on the purpose it will push you through the pain.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
2. Share a time when you were very intentional about making personal sacrifices to accomplish something that was in your heart.
Consider how the eternal purposes of God elevate our perspective beyond the temporal pain we face as you read the following verses of Scripture.
2 Cor 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
3. What are some behaviors in your life that reflect the eternal priorities of God?
Jesus had something very specific in mind when he calls us into His Kingdom. Paul speaks of pressing on to pursue all God had in mind when Jesus took hold of him:
Phil 3:12 “…I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. NIV
You were designed by God for that which Jesus had in mind when he took hold of you. This is your purposed destiny from God. If we’re not careful we identify more with our dysfunction than we do w our destiny. Jesus died so we could identify w our God-given destiny!
We are inclined to identify with dysfunction. We are designed to identify with destiny.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
4. Notice in the following portion of Scripture how we are the gates through which the King of glory breaks into the earth. Read these verses and share whatever may stand out to you.
Ps 24:1-10 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. NIV
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Lift your countenance in prayer very intentionally this week focusing on the eternal purposes of God.
#TurnThePage