Courageous Leadership: Lent Practices for Church Leaders

Courageous Leadership: Lent Practices for Church Leaders

by | Mar 11, 2025

Friends, it’s hard to believe that just five years ago, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. And today, the complexities of our world continue to challenge us. It’s a time that calls for courageous church leadership, and that’s precisely what Lent invites us to embrace.

I’ve spent years helping churches thrive by creating a culture of renewal. I believe Lent isn’t just about somber reflection. It’s a powerful opportunity to lean into the suffering of Jesus as he walked toward the cross. And while we know the glorious end of the story – the resurrection – it’s crucial that we sit with the raw, real challenges Jesus faced. Because, let’s be honest, we’re all facing significant challenges right now. Lent couldn’t be more timely.

The traditional Lenten disciplines – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – aren’t dusty relics. They’re dynamic tools for effective leadership. Let’s explore how we can use these Lent spiritual disciplines to navigate these turbulent times with grace and strength.

Prayer: Cultivating Vision and Bold Action

Prayer, in my experience, isn’t passive. It’s the engine of vision and bold action. It’s about connecting with God, yes, but it’s also about tuning into the divine whisper that guides our next steps.

During Lent, let’s commit to a deeper level of prayer for church leaders. This means:

  • Practicing Gratitude: Even amidst the chaos, let’s intentionally give thanks. Gratitude fuels our resilience.
  • Offering Ourselves: Daily, let’s surrender our agendas to God, asking for the wisdom and strength to lead with purpose.
  • Interceding for Others: Let’s lift up our communities, our nations, and our world in prayer. Let’s pray specifically for those who are suffering.

But remember, prayer isn’t just about talking to God. It’s about listening for God. This is where true leadership emerges. Pay attention to those nudges, those insights, those “aha” moments that come during prayer. They are often God’s call to action.

For Church Leaders:

  • Foster a Culture of Listening Prayer: Encourage your teams to practice listening prayer, not just petitioning. Create space for shared discernment.
  • Use Prayer for Strategic Planning: Don’t just pray for comfort. Pray for clarity, for vision, for innovative solutions to the challenges your church faces.
  • Teach Practical Prayer Skills: Offer workshops or resources on prayer practices that empower your people to connect with God in meaningful ways. Think Lectio Divina, Ignatian spirituality, or centering prayer.
  • Create Sacred Space for Lament: Acknowledge the grief and pain that people are carrying. Create space in worship and small groups for lament, for honest expression of sorrow.

Fasting: Disrupting the Status Quo and Embracing Innovation

Fasting isn’t just about giving up chocolate. It’s about disrupting the status quo. It’s about creating space for fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to church revitalization.

This Lent, I challenge you to consider fasting from:

  • Complacency: Are you settling for “good enough”? Fast from the fear of change.
  • Apathy: Fast from the temptation to disengage from the world’s problems.
  • Mindless Consumption: Fast from the endless scroll, the constant barrage of information that distracts us from what truly matters.

Fasting, in this context, is about creating space for clarity, for focus, for the kind of disruptive thinking that can revitalize our churches.

For Church Leaders:

  • Lead with Courageous Vulnerability: Share your own fasting journey with your congregation. Let them see that you’re willing to be challenged and transformed.
  • Encourage Innovative Fasting: Don’t just suggest traditional fasts. Invite your people to fast from things that hinder their creativity and engagement.
  • Use Fasting to Fuel Innovation: Before a brainstorming session, have your team engage in a brief period of fasting and prayer. See how it sharpens their focus.
  • Challenge the “Way We’ve Always Done It”: Use Lent as a time to question assumptions and explore new ways of being the church.

 

Almsgiving: Mobilizing Generosity for Maximum Impact

Almsgiving isn’t just about writing a check. It’s about mobilizing generosity for maximum impact. It’s about channeling our resources – our time, our talents, our finances – to make a real difference in the world.

This Lent let’s move beyond transactional giving and embrace transformational giving. Let’s ask:

  • Where can our generosity have the greatest impact?
  • How can we empower others to thrive?
  • How can we be agents of justice and reconciliation?

Almsgiving, in this sense, is about strategic investment, about building a world where God’s love is tangible and transformative.

For Church Leaders:

  • Teach Generosity as a Spiritual Practice: Help your congregation understand that giving is an act of worship, a way to participate in God’s work.
  • Partner Strategically: Don’t just support any cause. Identify organizations that align with your church’s values and have a proven track record of impact.
  • Empower Your People to Serve: Create opportunities for your congregation to volunteer their time and talents. Connect them with meaningful service projects.
  • Advocate for Systemic Change: Encourage your congregation to be informed and engaged citizens, advocating for policies that promote justice and equity.

Lent: A Call to Courageous Leadership

Friends, Lent is a call to courageous leadership. It’s a time to embrace the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in ways that empower us to be bold, innovative, and impactful.

As church leaders, we have the privilege and responsibility to guide our congregations through this season. Let’s lead with vision, with courage, and with a deep commitment to making a difference in the world. Let’s use this Lent to equip our communities to be agents of hope, transformation, and God’s unwavering love.

Ready to lead your church with more courage and vision? Take this opportunity to expand on the spiritual strengths you are building by scheduling a 45-minute Discovery Session with me. Or, be my guest at our free seminar How Christian Ministries are Achieving Success.

 

Copyright © 2025 rebekahsimonpeter.com. All Rights Reserved.

Believe in Your Ability to Rise Again: 3 Ways to Believe Like Jesus

Believe in Your Ability to Rise Again: 3 Ways to Believe Like Jesus

by | Feb 19, 2025

We are facing tough times in the world around us. Mainline churches are under attack for uplifting the mercy of Christ. The democracy as we know it is being changed from the inside out by unelected officials. The mission field is rapidly expanding as government workers are being summarily laid off or let go. The separation of church and state seems to have vanished as ICE and TSA officials enter churches at will to detain undocumented workers. The work of politics has positioned itself squarely in the realm of ethics.

As Christian leaders, we are called to notice, reflect on, and respond to matters of ethics. In fact, originally the separation of church and state was developed just so that churches would not feel constrained to speak to issues of the day.

I am writing to encourage you to hold on to your high calling. Not only that, as many values we have held dear seem to tumble down around us, I want you to believe in your ability to rise again. And to bring others along with you.

Resurrection is one of the key tenets of the Christian path. Not only did Jesus rise from the dead, he raised others as well. And he believes that we can rise too. Whether you take resurrection to be a literal or metaphorical reality, rising from the dead speaks to the buoyancy of both the human spirit and the divine spirit within us.

When it comes to participating in our own resurrection, we have much to learn from Jesus. Faced with the worst of dead-end circumstances—an unjust death by crucifixion— Jesus feels dread and moves forward anyway. Jesus believes in the reality of resurrection and puts that belief ahead of his fears. It’s not that he discounts the pain that awaits him. He doesn’t. Instead, he chooses to trust God in the worst moments of his life.

 

3 Ways to Believe Like Jesus

As you trust in your ability to rise, and to bring others along with you, here are 3 lessons we can learn from Jesus about how to believe in resurrection.

  1. Stay aware. Jesus stayed aware of what was happening around him and the implications of the decisions being made about his life. He didn’t bury his head in the sand, simply hoping for resurrection.

From Jesus we learn that as painful as times may be, it’s important to stay aware. So many people I know are opting out of watching the news, or staying informed because it is too depressing. Or too anguishing. While it’s important to keep one’s heart lifted, it is equally important to keep one’s feet firmly planted in the reality of changes taking place around us. Only in this way can you effectively speak, lead and minister to the people around you, and anticipate needs to be met. You can’t ignore the present if you are planning on resurrection.

 

  1. Trust the Guidance of God and the Prompting of the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed during the worst time of his life. Rather than being frozen in fear, he actively sought out the wisdom of God.

From Jesus we learn to believe in the potent power of prayer. During these days of a rapidly changing landscape in our country, and around the world, pause to tune in to the guidance of God, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and the needs of your own soul. Divine guidance is what we most need right now.

 

  1. Activate the ministries of the church. Before Jesus faced crucifixion, he conscientiously trained the Twelve to carry on his ministries: healing the sick, proclaiming the Kingdom, and casting out demons. First trained as disciples, they were ready to be sent out as apostles to carry on Jesus’ mission.

From Jesus we learn to believe in the future. We must train people to be ready for ministry. Now is the time to activate the ministries of the church—both comfort and challenge ministries. Comfort ministries offer comfort to those in need. The need for basic human dignities such as food and housing as well as hope and support is growing.  Challenge ministries challenge the root causes of hunger, homelessness, etc. Challenge ministries in these days may look like calling on your government representatives to push back against immoral or unjust or illegal executive orders. Or alerting undocumented workers how to avoid illegal detainment and deportation.

Sometimes, it seems that life hands us dead ends. Bleakness is all that lies before us. While things are bound to be better in heaven, what about life now? How are we to go on in situations like these?

 

A Bonus Lesson  Find joy and gratitude. Remember that in God’s world, there are no dead ends. New life always comes. Be ready for it by finding joy and gratitude in each day. Let your light shine.

Yes, resurrection can seem elusive when times are tough, and fear has a sort of irresistible allure. It sometimes seems a safer bet to catastrophize, to believe in a fearful outcome, than to place our faith in a positive future.

 

Put your Belief in Action

Beliefs shape your thoughts; thoughts fuel your actions; actions demonstrate your faith, and your faith reinforces your beliefs. So, as you begin to believe like Jesus, you will find that you are now able to think new thoughts, take new actions, and develop new faith. Mountains and mulberry trees start to move. The people around you begin to respond in new ways. And the world becomes a brighter place.

  • Believe: Believe in the reality of resurrection by placing more faith in God’s positive future than in your fear. If you have faith in the possibilities of the future, you don’t need evidence that good things will happen. Your choice to believe like Jesus is all the proof you need.

 

  • Answer the Call: Answer the call of possibility, of belief in resurrection. That doesn’t mean you won’t have doubts from time to time, or that you won’t have fears. As Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 movie True Grit, John Wayne famously said, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” That’s as good a mantra for an apostle as any. Courage is being scared to death and having the faith of Jesus anyway. Don’t pretend you have no fear, but turn that fear around. Don’t let it shut you down. Instead, use it as fuel.

 

  • Practice: A friend of mine used to say, “It ain’t over till it’s over, and if it ain’t good, then it ain’t over.” Develop the practice of looking for the good in each situation. Amplify it. Write about it. Talk about it. Lift it up. Rename your problems as opportunities and act as such. I don’t want to make light of it, but Jesus can see beyond the horror of crucifixion to the good that lay beyond it. He isn’t naïve, nor does he ask us to discount our own pain. Rather, Jesus invites us to see the good that comes out of even the worst of circumstances, like the deep family connections that have resulted from my mother’s ALS.

 

Believe In Your Ability to Rise Again

If you are looking for new ways to embrace the power of resurrection and the faith of Jesus in your ministry and those around you, I invite you to join me for RISE: 40 Days to Spiritual Transformation.

I created this course for leaders like you to embark on a transformative journey based on my powerful new book, Believe Like Jesus: Rising from Faith in Jesus to the Faith of Jesus. This immersive online experience will guide you in awakening the divine potential within, empowering you to live with the same unwavering faith and miraculous power that Jesus embodied.

Throughout six dynamic sessions, you will explore core principles such as spiritual authority, the power of prayer, divine purpose, resilience, and co-creating miracles with God. You’ll gain practical tools to apply these transformative teachings to your spiritual growth and daily life in these challenging times.

The first session is Tuesday, March 4, 2025 and we will meet weekly until Tuesday, April 8, 2025 from 6:30 – 7:45pm Central Time. Single and Group registration options are available. This could be the turning point you’ve been seeking, so register today!

 

Copyright © 2025 rebekahsimonpeter.com. All Rights Reserved.

New Year’s Resolutions – 2025

New Year’s Resolutions – 2025

by | Jan 8, 2025

As we begin the new year, I have mixed feelings of excitement for a new year and trepidation for what this year could bring to our communities, nation, and world.

Will we, as a nation and as individuals, show solidarity with one another this year, especially with the oppressed?  Will we start treating one another more as a beloved community? Will we rise in support of those who, under possible new governmental policies may be literally put in danger, or at the very least, made uncomfortable?

When I originally wrote this blog, it was December of 2021 and we’d been through the pandemic and, despite the tragedies implicit in a global virus, the new year looked promising.  At that time, focusing on the positive, I sat down to write my New Year’s Resolutions.  I think, with some updates, those resolutions that served me well in 2022 can also expand and enhance my life’s ministry in 2025.  I want to share them with you.

 

RESOLUTIONS

Be it resolved that in the service of church leaders everywhere, in partnership with God, I will be creative, daring myself to think outside the box, and take on things that scare me. Both within my religion and faith community, and in the broader community that encompasses other religions and spiritualities.

Be it resolved that I will deepen my commitment to authentic Christian community by empowering my ministry team to lead powerfully.

Be it resolved that I will envision and give voice to new futures and not let the fear of failure or rejection hold me back. Like other leaders, I worry about what others think of me. To hell with that.

Be it resolved that with the current divisions in churches, in denominations, in religions, and in the nation, this year, I will move forward more courageously, helping to bridge the divides that keep us apart.

Be it resolved that I will rise from faith in Jesus to the faith of Jesus, allowing myself to take new actions and see both myself and others in new ways.  This will also shift my consciousness to help me become the change I wish to see in the world.

 

Will I fulfill all of my New Year’s resolutions for 2025? Will I hit every goal? If last year and the year before are any indication, probably not. But that’s ok. Life will present unexpected opportunities and new goals will take the place of old ones.

This year will be a challenge, but it will also be an opportunity to let go and trust God, partner in faith, and set out on vigorous courses of action.  With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, all things are possible. Even the Beloved Community in a nation rife with unrest.

 

Do you want support in envisioning and enacting new goals to bring peace and renewal to your church and community? Join me for the seminar “How Christian Ministries are Achieving Success”, my free introduction to Creating a Culture of Renewal®. I’ve got several dates available for this 90 minute online opportunity and I look forward to seeing you there.

Interested in shifting YOUR consciousness and embracing real spiritual transformation in 2025? My latest book, Believe Like Jesus: Rising from Faith in Jesus to the Faith of Jesus is now available online.

 

 

Adapted and reprinted copyright © 2024 rebekahsimonpeter.com. All Rights Reserved.

Why Your Church Should Hang Christmas Lights This Year

Why Your Church Should Hang Christmas Lights This Year

by | Dec 8, 2024

It’s that time of year again! The leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, snow is falling, and festive Christmas lights are appearing on houses and trees across towns and cities.

Yet churches often remain darkened in this joyous season of light.

Why is that?

Christmas is the most widely recognized Christian holiday of all. Many who are nominally Christian celebrate it. People who will never come to your church celebrate it. Even persons of different faiths often celebrate Christmas in some way.

While many churches will decorate their interiors with candles, greens, and banners—most  people will never know. They won’t see the inside of your sanctuary—not your poinsettias nor your Chrismon trees. They won’t see the glorious beauty you have prepared inside your church. They’ll only see the outside of your building. Without the visible presence of lights you miss the opportunity to share the joy of the season with passersby.

It may seem simplistic, but hanging lights is not just about putting up decorations. Outdoor Christmas lights signal that your church is celebrating the holiday, too. That’s too important a message to skip or assume that others already know.

This year I’m suggesting you go along with the culture and festoon your building with lights. Or at least the part of your building that is easy to reach.

Here are the top three reasons why your church should make the effort to hang Christmas lights this year, and why it’s worth your time to do so.

Reason #1: Lights Show the Beauty Inside Your Church to the World Outside

There is nothing so special as a church sanctuary on Christmas Eve. I love seeing the Christmas decorations, how the hanging of the greens makes it all possible, and then standing back to admire the beauty and wonder of the season. Why leave that beauty behind the locked doors of our churches?

Historically, a light in the window said to the stranger passing by, “You are welcome here,” a welcomed message as travelers sought food and shelter on their journey.  Christmas lights on the outside of the church, reflecting the birth of Christ, conveys the modern-day version of this message:  “All are welcome here.” And to show that all really means all, you might want to add a colorful rainbow flag, or a symbol that tells those who feel excluded  that “all” really means everyone. That’s the good news sorely needed in today’s world.

Reason #2: Lights Celebrate the Deep Meaning of Christmas

The Christmas season, as you already know, is more than trees and gifts, bells and parties. While each aspect of the season has significance, none has more than the lights. As we reflect on the birth of Jesus and what that means for us today, we are drawn to the inbreaking of light, that gives birth to hope, followed by joy.

“But we have a Nativity scene,” you say. “Isn’t that better than lights?” For some people in your churches and communities, a Nativity scene brings to mind the humble story of Christmas. Others, however, may not even know what the word Nativity means, or the significance of the tableau. The introduction of Christmas lights invites people into the story. “Come and see, this child born in Bethlehem!” Suddenly the Nativity becomes personal.  The darkness fades and the light of God’s unconditional love shines.

 

Reason #3: Lights are Missional

During Halloween, trick-or-treaters count on outward signs to know if they should ring the doorbell. Lights and decorations communicate, “Stop by our house. We are here, and we have candy for you.” The same can be said for Christmas lights. Putting up lights is a way of sharing the love and joy of the season with everyone that comes by, whether they are coming to your home or driving by on their way home.  The lights may become a topic of conversation, a great way to share what Christmas means to you and the impact the birth of Christ child has on your daily life.

This Year

Too often, churches can be seen as places that are closed off from the community, open for business one, maybe two, days a week.  Imagine the talk in the town when your church is lit up at Christmas!  Who knows what could happen.  One day you’re turning on the lights, the next day you’re talking with someone who is spending their first Christmas without a loved one.  When it’s cold outside, you have hot chocolate and Christmas goodies to share, while hearing the stories of the community.  You offer prayer, build relationships, and suddenly you’re helping children with their homework, growing a community garden, and the miracles go on.

And it all started with Christmas lights.

 

Adapted and republished Copyright © 2024.

Copyright © 2022 rebekahsimonpeter.com. All Rights Reserved.

Common Perils and Common Opportunities

Common Perils and Common Opportunities

by | Nov 12, 2024

Election Day 2024 has come and gone, the votes are in, and a new president-elect has been determined. No matter how you voted, our country will now face common perils and common opportunities. Your response as a faith-based leader to both the perils and the opportunities will set the stage for how your people respond as well.

In this blog I would like to name three perils and three opportunities with suggestions of how to respond. But first, I’d like to remind you of one important myth, and how you can avoid falling prey to it.

 

The Myth of Omnipotence

A great deal of weight has been placed on the presidential election. And rightly so. This is a crucial leadership position in our country, and there is much at stake. However, the president alone does not control the fate of the US, or the world, or especially you. Yes, the president does have a great deal of influence, however they are not omnipotent. Checks and balances exist between state and federal law, and ideally within the three branches of government. More than that, as faith leaders, we draw upon a Higher Power to guide and direct us. This Power has been known to burst through jail cells, confound rulers of the day, and transcend even the grave. Therefore I encourage you to exercise your faith, and remember Whose you are, even in uncertain times. Especially in uncertain times.

 

Three Common Perils

Peril #1: Adjust your morals. There will be constant, steady, and unrelenting pressure to adjust your morals. Outrageous behavior and unacceptable actions will again become normalized in the public eye. You may have to work very hard to keep your moral grounding. Norms that were once commonly accepted will begin to feel radical. Norms such as making space for people who are different than you, without having to demonize them or ostracize them. Or norms such as agreeing to disagree. 

Don’t give in to this pressure. Know what you stand for. Be clear on your values. Maintain your morals and ethics. At the same time, don’t demonize those who voted differently than you did. To do so would simply reinforce the polarization that got us here.

 

Peril #2 The Gospels will sound increasingly like politicized statements. Love your neighbor as yourself. Show hospitality toward strangers. Welcome the alien and immigrant. For Christian nationalists, “making disciples” may sound like a rallying cry to lead more followers to acceptance of authoritarianism. Or leading them to treating others with a cruelty that has no place in Christianity. Or any religion for that matter.

Preach the Gospel anyway. More than that, live the Gospel anyway. Be kind. Be hospitable. Be welcoming. Even more so, interrupt acts of unkindness. Speak up for those getting bullied. Correct hateful or derogatory language uttered in your presence. As St. Frances is quoted as saying: “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

 

Peril #3: You will be tempted to sensor your words or even downplay the Gospels so as not to upset others. You may even be tempted to ignore your baptismal vows. Peer pressure can be a fearsome thing.

Pause, get your internal bearings, then live true to your values. Frankly, the Gospels have always been countercultural. They have always made us uncomfortable. Even back in the day. Yet, a word of caution: don’t beat people up with the Bible. Or with your interpretation of things. That doesn’t help, either.   

 

Three Common Opportunities

Opportunity #1: Love others. The need for love, hospitality, and kindness toward strangers will only increase. More than ever, people in vulnerable populations will need hope and help.  Even the term “vulnerable populations” will expand. LGBTQ people, all people of color, as well as non-Christians such as Jews and Muslims, Sikhs, immigrants, women, the disabled, and the elderly may all be targets of hate.

Natural disasters and interpersonal violence will both create opportunities to extend the best qualities of the gospel toward others.

 

Opportunity #2: Dream of a better future. The time to create inspiring and inclusive visions of a better future for all is now. Dream big and extend your sights beyond the church to the community around you. Partner with agencies and groups who may share your vision. Tap into the wealth of resources around you.

While the numbers of vulnerable people may grow, so will the opportunities to be of service. As a leader, you can show others how to expand their vision beyond your church’s walls.

 

Opportunity #3: Deepen your spirituality. Spiritual growth and grounding will be essential. If you look to the circumstances around you for hope, or affirmation, you may find that wanting. To continue to be a light unto the nations, you will need to tap into your own inner divinity. Practice rising from faith in Jesus to the faith of Jesus.

If your congregation has a vision or a mission statement, let that be your guiding light. If there is a particular thing you are called to, do it, and do it well. If it is feeding the hungry, visiting the imprisoned, providing sanctuary for the immigrant – continue what you’re doing.

But keep an eye out for other opportunities to help.

 

Leaders, this is the time to not only believe in Jesus, but to believe like Jesus. Expand your capacity to be a light in the world and to be the change you wish to see.

Help bridge the gap between our common perils and our common opportunities by following me on Facebook and joining me for my 40 Day Spiritual Transformation Series, starting November 27. I also encourage you to join me this Thursday, November 14th, for my free seminar, “How Christian Ministries are Achieving Success.“

 

Copyright © 2024 rebekahsimonpeter.com.  All Rights Reserved.

Believe in Your Purpose

Believe in Your Purpose

by | Oct 30, 2024

Jesus believes his divine partnership with God powers his prayers and allows him to lean into his superpower to co-create miracles with God. These transformative beliefs lead to an even greater belief: his life has unwavering purpose directed by God the Father. Jesus lives his life on purpose.

In fact, according to the Gospels, Jesus’ life purpose has at least three distinct aspects. The first aspect of Jesus’ purpose is that of Savior. Before Mary and Joseph marry, an angel of the Lord speaks to Joseph in a dream about the son Mary will have: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Many Christians read this as a call to wholeness; other Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled the purpose of the Savior when he died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later.

The second aspect of Jesus’ purpose is making God’s presence widely known. Capernaum is the center of Jesus’ public ministry. He spends time there healing the sick, casting out demons, and preaching. Understandably, the good people of Capernaum want him to stick around and heal every last ill they have. But Jesus knows he can’t just stay where things are familiar. He has more work to do. Upon hearing their request, “Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So he travels throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons” (Mark 1:38-39). The Gospel of Luke puts Jesus’ response to a similar situation this way: “But he said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent’” (Luke 4:43). Jesus clearly states this aspect of his purpose: “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God”—and not simply to local folks but to everyone he can reach.

The third aspect of Jesus’ purpose is testifying to God’s truth. The Gospel of John mentions several times that Jesus embodies God’s truth: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Later Jesus speaks to Pilate in a similar vein: “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37). The truth or Logos that Jesus represents is the essential nature of God the Father, and our unity with it.

As with Jesus, you may have different purposes for different communities or different times in your life. You may even mean something different to the various people in your life. For example, my dad (and my mom when she was alive) doesn’t need me to be a great church leader; he needs me to be a caring daughter. Our foster boys need me to feed them, play with them, and set healthy boundaries; in other words, to be a good mother. The church leaders I work with need me to inspire and challenge them to lead with new skills and courage. Same person, three different purposes.

 

Jesus Invites You to Live on Purpose

Jesus lived on purpose and called the Twelve to live the same way:

As you go, proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-9)

The actions of the apostles tell us how they elevate themselves, how they rise from having faith in Jesus as witnesses and apprentices to having the faith of Jesus as agents and apostles.

Just as we all have different purposes at different times in our lives, so our lives will reflect different aspects of the Kingdom reality. Your purpose doesn’t have to be about ministry per se. In other words, you don’t have to be a missionary, a pastor, or an evangelist to live out your life’s purpose. Maybe your purpose is to be an entrepreneur, an artist, a bricklayer, a parent, or a preschool teacher. In living his purpose, Jesus shows us how to live our purpose. In experiencing that deep unity with God, using the gift of prayer, and cultivating the miracle mindset, you can live your larger purpose as Jesus did—whatever that purpose may be.

Throughout the New Testament, we see that many people from different walks of life love and emulate Jesus and learn from him. Some give up their old lives and literally trail after him from town to town. Others are sent back into their communities to live their lives in a new and more purposeful way after Jesus heals them. Jesus instructs still others to say nothing about their healing or about him. Regardless, we can imagine that, changed by the presence of Jesus, each person is living according to God’s distinct purpose for them.

It’s the same for us. While I was called to be a pastor, many of the people I have met along the way have been called to other equally wonderful purposes. They are teachers, golf pros, energy healers, attorneys, parents, athletes, inventors, salesclerks, trainers, oilfield workers, servers, managers, general contractors, law enforcement officers, public servants, and more. When it comes to living life on purpose, it’s more about how you live than your job description. This is the Kingdom of God on earth.

Of course, the opposite can be true as well. Anyone in any role can be inauthentic about their purpose, can be doing what they’re doing for all the wrong reasons, for reasons that aren’t aligned with Jesus’ purpose—out of fear, greed, lust, revenge, a hunger for fame, hubris, envy, and a host of other sins.

To avoid that path, discover what brings you alive and use it to contribute to the joy of Beloved Community. Living on purpose in this way gives you focus. Emboldens you. Protects you against fear. Guides your prayers.

What if you don’t know what brings you alive or don’t know what your purpose is? I have definitely felt that way. At those times I simply pray: “God, please help me live the deepest purposes of my life.” With this prayer, I don’t even have to know or decide what my purpose is! I simply follow God’s prompting every day, trusting that what comes my way is God’s guidance—letting me know my purpose, moment by moment, day by day. In this way, I can trust that I am living every day on purpose.

 

Excerpted and adapted from Rebekah Simon-Peter’s forthcoming book, Believe Like Jesus: Rising from Faith in Jesus to the Faith of Jesus, November 2024.

Copyright © 2024 rebekahsimonpeter.com.  All Rights Reserved.