Please allow me to share with you a George Bernard Shaw quote I encountered while reading Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love:

“This is true joy in life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

Now, read that one more time, slowly, and take a moment to comprehend what it says.  It is a mouthful! Now, I have a question for you to ponder.  For what purpose are you being literally used up in this life and does that purpose bring you true joy? Is it a mighty one that will stand in eternity?
     Day by day we find that we are merely fragments of ourselves, pulled a multitude of directions by life here on this earth. In Webster’s Dictionary “life” is described as an animate (inspired) existence. Can you honestly look at your situation and say that you are living an animated existence that has real purpose? Or does your life fall more in line with what rests on the other side of the semi-colon in Shaw’s quote?
     I can definitely say that sadly I have existed quite a lot of my life on the other side of the semi-colon, so caught up in my “selfish little clod of ailments and grievances.”  Life had not gone as I had planned, as if that power was ever mine to possess.  I loved the Lord, but I was not happy with His plan for my life, which of course He knew even before I was conceived. I really had given up finding the Romans 8:28 verse to be true for me.  I could not fathom how many of the events that had occurred in my life would ever work together for “good.” Sadly my life was “all about me.” I found my purpose in ruminating over what I felt were injustices in my life. Perhaps joy was my facade but not my internal truth. And I was certainly finding nothing in this world, despite many attempts, that brought me happiness. Does any of this ring a chord with you?
     Our lives are so often frittered away by the misdirection of our energies. For the most part, we don’t have joy because we don’t have a mighty purpose. What do you see your purpose being?  Going to a job because you need financial security. Trying to keep up with the bills.  Caring for your children because you had them and you’ve got to raise them. Taking care of the things you possess.  Going to church because that’s what you’ve always done and people expect you to be there. Where is God, our true mighty purpose in this mix?  Where is joy?  Not in any of that!  Yet, that is our definition of life.  How sad.
     Ready for a drastic, much needed change? Either you are going to be miserably used up by all the above mentioned “stuff” or your can make the choice to change your course and be used up for the mighty purpose of serving God. Now, before you can make that much needed shift in your life, you most likely need to work on your relationship with God, spend time with Him. This calls for a sacrifice of your time which equates to a little less TV time, less phone, or computer time, time spent in reordering your priorities. Small in comparison to the sacrifice of the cross where God made your salvation a part of His purpose through the death and resurrection of  His son, Jesus. In those moments set aside for Him, God will minister to you and guide you the toward a truly mighty purpose meant just for you and in being used up by that divine purpose you will find JOY.
     Start making changes today that direct you toward being a force of nature for God.  We have seen repeatedly in recent months the negative impact forces of nature such as fire, flood, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, etc. We, however, can be a positive force of nature in this world, leaving the hope and joy of God’s message in our wake as opposed to destruction. That’s why we are here.
     Now, go and make whatever adjustments you need, and be used up in this life in the mighty purpose of serving Jesus! Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.  To God be the Glory!!