Finding The Real
ME

Who am I?

Why am I here?

Is there a plan?

A Clergy Care Note
From

New Day Inc.

1212 13^th Ave.

Altoona, PA 16601

814-949-9210

Rev. David C. Hammerle, M.A., M.Ed., DAPA

____________________________________________________________________________

IS THERE A PLAN?

Yes! There is a plan. No one comes into this world without a plan. While there have been unwanted pregnancies and surprise expectancies, the fact is that an all knowing God is fully aware of everyone who comes into this world and He always has a plan. This is one reason that abortion is such an atrocity. The taking of a life is wrong, but when you add to this wrong the concept that one is choosing to violate God’s plan for someone else’s life without the consent of God or the other person the concept suggests that the person is choosing to be god.

The basic story of creation as it is found in the Scriptures reveals that God works with a plan. The six days of creation offers a concept of order in our universe. Man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) in order that God might take pleasure in him (Rev. 4:11). The rest of creation was made for man that he might subdue it (Genesis 1:28). Each day of creation produced something that was necessary to support that which would be created on the next day. An open-minded study of the universe will support the concept that life begins with a plan.

We need to make this more personal. Is there a plan for my life? The answer is another “Yes”. If God has a plan for everyone, He has a plan for you.

The other fact behind this concept is that we have a choice. This too is part of the original plan. When God made us in His image, He gave us a will—the right to choose. We can choose to discover His plan or we can choose to follow our own will. It is this power of choice that brings about the sin in our lives.

While many stand ready to condemn Adam and Eve for their choice to sin against God’s command not to eat of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:1-7), the fact is that every one of us have chosen to do the same (Romans 3:23). When we choose to sin, we cannot even say, “The devil made me do it.” James 1:14-15 teaches us that we are tempted when our own lust draws us astray. The choice to commit a sin is ours.

On the other hand, if we choose to follow God’s plan for our lives, we can discover the answer to another question on the face of this flyer.

WHY AM I HERE?

Jesus taught, “For whosoever will save his life will lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.” (Luke 9:24) Finding and fulfilling God’s plan for your life is the only way to save your real life—your purpose for being here. If you miss God’s purpose for your being here, you lose the life that God wanted you to have.

The will of God for our lives is more often discovered than revealed. There are those who find it difficult to make life-changing decisions and choose to stand idly by while waiting for God to grant a revelation concerning His plan for their life. The teachings of Ecclesiastes 9:10 instructs us, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might….” The intellect that God has given to us allows us to have order in our daily lives. We can create plans to carry out certain tasks that we need to do in order to accomplish goals that we have set.

I have often found that when I did what I knew I should do, I would discover that the task had a higher meaning than I had originally thought. I would be made to realize that this was part of God’s higher plan for my life. Here is a truth that you need to keep in mind. IF YOU SINCERELY WANT GOD’S WILL, HE WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOU FIND IT. Plan your daily tasks with the prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”

Another important principle to keep in mind teaches us that God’s will for our life will never lead us to do anything contrary to the teaching of the Bible. A sincere desire to discover God’s plan for your life should cause you to spend time reading God’s word. Biblical principles are a powerful guideline to discover God’s plan for our life.

WHO AM I?

The answer to this question is vital to the discovery of the answers to the other two questions. You are a loved, lovable, child of God with a plan for your life. Consider these three facts—God loves everyone (John 3:16)—you are a child of God either by creation or by a new birth experience (John 1:12)—God has a plan for every one of His children.

Now consider this biblical teaching about God—God never changes (Malachi 3:6)—God is love (1John 4:8) Put these two facts together and we can reach this meaningful conclusion—God’s love never changes. God will never stop loving you. God loved you while you were in your worst condition (Romans 5:8). His unchanging love means that He will never love you more or less than He did when He allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins.

It is this love that motivates God’s plan for you life. Romans 8:28 teaches us, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” It is God’s plan to turn your negatives into positives. Bad days can become good days in God’s plan.

The world in which we live is not a fair world. People who are motivated by negative, self-serving greed make choices that affect our lives. Bad things do happen to us. God’s promise makes it clear that the wrong that others cause for us can have a positive influence for our good in God’s plan (Genesis 20:15).

Finding The Real ME