Your Purpose is Your Present - Episode 2

What is your reason for existing?

In this episode, listen in as Justin and Don dissect the purpose (present) that is found in every person—where we need to go to find it, realizing where it comes from, and the process behind truly fulfilling it is revealed. 

Transcript

[00:00:00] Justin: Hi, everyone. This is Justin 

[00:00:34] Justin: Obrantz, and this is Don Schaefer. And you are listening to the Wise and the Wandering podcast for those who know the way and for those who are led astray. And if you feel like you fall into either of those categories, Then you're in the right place. So 

[00:00:51] Don: let's dive in. I'm excited to be with you Justin this once again we get to discuss things pertaining to life [00:01:00] and There's so much to be learned out there and I know myself I'm in a learning process, but I know we always get ourselves into a good conversation every time the two of us get together Yes, we do.

[00:01:11] Justin: And I think that purpose is something that's so needed in this world today. And I feel like everyone is looking for purpose in all the wrong areas. I feel like people are, um, are really striving. Everyone is looking for a purpose, right? Everyone is looking for a meaning. I think that might even be another word, uh, which is similar to purpose, but I feel like we are kind of, when I say those who are led astray, we're all being led.

[00:01:37] Justin: astray in different ways. There's so many different ways that we are being distracted on a daily basis from finding our purpose. And I guess just to get right into it, what do you think it means? Like, what does purpose mean to you? And how do you think that somebody finds their 

[00:01:57] Don: purpose? Okay, [00:02:00] myself, I, um, Well, purpose, I feel like we were all created with a purpose.

[00:02:05] Don: And, a lot of times we get ourselves misdirected. And like Justin said, a lot of times we're looking in the wrong places. Because, actually, we should go to the source. We look at life, and we're born into it, and we have no understanding at all why we're here, what we're supposed to be here for, or whatever.

[00:02:24] Don: And, uh, I know by getting into the Word of God, we start to realize, and getting an understanding as life goes on, that there is a purpose. And I believe God has created all of us with a purpose, and that's we're going to the source. To find a purpose is a place we need to do, a place we need to go. What's really interesting to me is, you know, I read an article a while back, and they asked, you know, like, they took like a thousand people that were very intelligent, and asked them if they knew what their purpose was.

[00:02:53] Don: And there was just a lot of blank answers. No, a lot of people never take the time to [00:03:00] realize that, you know, I need to take time to get to the source, get connected to the source, because I know the story I always tell is about climbing the ladder of life, and everybody wants to be so successful, and they take courses, and they go to school, and everything else, and they climb this ladder once, They get all the way to the top, and they look around and they realize they got the ladder leaning up against the wrong building.

[00:03:23] Don: You know, and what a shock that is, and that's why I feel a lot of people are climbing a ladder of what they think is correct. Their purpose and their success, you know, God gives us skills. He gives us talents He gives us areas that we like things that we're good at but it's all for a reason and until we really sit down and Find time to talk to God and have him show us and give us an understanding Of what our purpose is a lot of times we are just wandering around in life, I'm hoping that something sticks And I 

[00:03:56] Justin: think that, I think that purpose to me in general, [00:04:00] I think that the purpose, if you want to just be very simple about it, I think the purpose in someone's life is in anybody's life is to help others.

[00:04:09] Justin: Yeah. I really. Genuinely believe this. And I, to even go further, I would say that the only reason that there's six, seven billion people, whatever in the world, I don't know what the number is anymore, but the fact that it's so high, only explanation behind that would be that we need to be helping other people.

[00:04:30] Justin: There wouldn't be that many people that simply exist to not help each other. And often I think about this when it comes to helping people, because I truly believe that In order to help other people, you know, that's something that's easier said than done But I think that you have to help yourself before you can help other people and often I think about this don and I think about like if you didn't have your day to day job your nine to five.

[00:04:54] Justin: Yeah, and if you are being paid money Would you even help people? You know, people that are [00:05:00] like working at stores and they're actually, helping people or retail or they're working at call centers and they're helping people. If you didn't, if you weren't getting paid money to do that, how much would you actually help people?

[00:05:10] Justin: Yeah. How much would you go out of your way to help 

[00:05:12] Don: people? That's my question, huh? 

[00:05:14] Justin: No, that's just a general question I have, because I feel like people are, because of that reason, people are lacking purpose because. Um, they don't feel the need to go out there and help people.

[00:05:29] Justin: Maybe I'm already doing all this in my job, so I don't feel the need to go help the, the poor or the sick. Or I don't feel like cleaning up the highways or whatever the case is, you know.

[00:05:40] Don: but there's something has to happen there, Justin. Yes, something does. Well, you know what it really boils down to?

[00:05:47] Don: Because I know like Jesus came into this world not to be served, but to serve. And so he became a great example. And the people that are How would you say happy, successful in life, are usually the [00:06:00] servants of all. I know a lot of times even giving gifts at Christmas time. Where is the joy and happiness?

[00:06:07] Don: It's giving. It's giving to your children. And it takes a heart. And like you were saying, If I had all the money in the world and didn't have to do nothing, didn't have to help anybody, you just, there's a selfish part to people and, but it takes a different type of heart. And that's where I believe God changes the heart and he gets you into a servant mode.

[00:06:26] Don: And you find, different People in life sometimes that find this some people who are very wealthy or whatever all of a sudden their whole life Changes and they get it into a life of servanthood They find it the true joy the true happiness is trying to help people Yeah, you know

[00:06:43] Justin: that feeling like you get when you open a door for somebody.

[00:06:47] Justin: Yeah, you just hold the door open and there's like There's just something natural there. It's not like manufactured. It's something natural that when you do that, just that gesture and you, you know, open the door for somebody, you just get [00:07:00] that good feeling inside of you. And just to know, when you think about it, you could have that feeling a lot more and a lot more often, a lot more 

[00:07:09] Don: frequently.

[00:07:10] Don: With understanding that, I know what, one story I love, this was when Hurricane Katrina, Katrina hit, easy for me to say, in, uh, but the Silver Dome, they had the, um, they were housing people, you know, because their houses were gone and dwellings were gone, so people were living right in this dome, I think it's called a Silver Dome, I'm not sure, but anyway, uh, I know, yeah, you know, and they said the place was trashed.

[00:07:37] Don: You know, but there was people inside there that started serving people. There was people that was trying to get water for people that needed water. There was a real, love developed there and a servant's heart. And these people here, they were joyful. And, and they said that just that attitude changed a lot in a lot of other people's lives.

[00:07:59] Don: Because when you [00:08:00] can start to show what serving is like. It not only changes you, but it changes the people around you and it changes a lot of the attitudes and things that were going on there and that's where a lot of the Situations we see in life if we could learn how to be better servants I think our whole life our happiness everything because there's so much in life that deals with me and myself Yes, 

[00:08:21] Justin: I You hit it right on the head, I think.

[00:08:23] Justin: There's everything in life, in my opinion, that we're even just taught about. We're taught to be selfish beings. We're taught, I think we grew up in a world now having a two year old, um, shout out to my Little boy who just turned two today Oliver I love you Now having a two year old here in the world and knowing I guess knowing about the world having experienced the world in my own lifetime.

[00:08:47] Justin: I can see how selfishly that we're taught We're taught by organizations. We're taught by Brands and we're taught by all this different kind of clever marketing. I would even say to just consume and [00:09:00] consume and consume and just be consumers. And they even use that word in a very like, and I get it for business purposes and stuff like that.

[00:09:07] Justin: It should be used, but they use it in like a very. I would say like a like a cutesy way a consumer, you know So you should just always be consuming things and I think what it does is it keeps us Living under the spell of consumption and we never feel that we have enough And we always feel like we want more and we never have the right boyfriend even though we have Uh, however many kids, and we never have the right husband, and we never have the right wife, and we never have the right car, and we always want something better.

[00:09:38] Justin: There's always something better, there's always something more out there for us, and even if there isn't, we're going to allow ourselves to think that there is. We're going to want it, that's for sure. It's like, and I call it a spell, I would say a spell of consumption that's put on us, maybe at an early age.

[00:09:52] Justin: Follows us, possibly through our entire life. And I think that because of that, it makes us very selfish people. And I feel like it's [00:10:00] hard, you know, it's, it's almost like rare in some cases when you see selfless people, you know, I could probably count on one hand. The amount of truly selfless people that I've met in my life and those people made so much more of a difference Yeah in my life and are more memorable than any selfish person.

[00:10:20] Justin: I've ever met. Yeah I don't even remember the selfish people, And I think it's that lasting impression that really shows the impact of purpose in the 

[00:10:29] Don: way that we're describing Oh, yeah, I know I read an article a while back, and it was about, it talked about the monster inside me. Yeah. And, uh, the monster inside me is very selfish, wants everything for me.

[00:10:41] Don: Yeah. And it's always looking after me. It doesn't want to listen to anybody. It's all about me coming up with a better story, or something better to say, and all that. But I know what you're saying. When you find truly selfless people, they stand out, they shine. You know, you look at a mother They 

[00:10:56] Justin: inspire you.

[00:10:57] Justin: Oh, yeah. Selfish people do not inspire you. Yeah. There's nothing 

[00:10:59] Don: to learn [00:11:00] from selfish people. Mother Teresa. Yeah, you know, I mean this this is a life that just gave it away And then everybody that was a part of her organization had to do the same thing. They couldn't own anything You know, they were living just in poverty, but they found great joy in trying to help people all the time So i'm hoping that some of the stuff rubs off on me because when Justin was talking about, the five, uh, people that he might know that are selfless, I was going to ask him if, if the person in the mirror was one of them, but, uh, you know, but you know, a lot of times, you know, I think it's a process.

[00:11:36] Don: And I know, if we get into biblical thing, it's, I think it's part of the born again process. It's a changing of you, where you start to love people. I know, myself as I've Yeah, 

[00:11:46] Justin: because the old you didn't have purpose. You couldn't find, you couldn't find purpose in the old you. And it wasn't until you, you died, essentially.

[00:11:55] Justin: Not, not physically, but the old self passed away. That's right. That the [00:12:00]new self has the chance, has the opportunity to find purpose. The purpose that the old self couldn't find. Right. When we talk about being born again. You know, because some people might I wonder, even people, biblical, even Nicodemus, I think, in the Bible is talking to Jesus and he's saying you know, what does it mean to be born again?

[00:12:18] Justin: And he's, you know, they, they looked at everything so logically and rationally that it was like, do I need to, you know, come out of my mother's womb again? Yeah. 

[00:12:27] Don: Oh yeah. There was something going on there. And, I think the same thing is meant for us today. There was something going on there, because I know we've talked about this in the past where like in the book of Acts, they call it the way, you know, they had a certain way about them, but these were the type of people, it didn't matter how badly you treated them.

[00:12:45] Don: Yeah. This was the first set of Christians. That's right. Yeah. Well, the ones that were truly born again after Jesus was here, but 

[00:12:52] Justin: that's where this moniker comes in the podcast, the ones who know the way. That was the earliest form of true Christianity. That's right. It was 

[00:12:59] Don: called the [00:13:00] Way. That's right. And they, it was an interesting group of people because, and I kind of like this, because if the worse you treated them, the more they would pray for you.

[00:13:10] Don: You know, and I remember, uh, I was in a church group one time and they had a bunch of church ladies. I used to tell them, I'm going to treat you nasty because I need a lot of prayers. You know, they'd just look at me, but you know, in reality. This is what times have surely changed. They have, they have, but in reality that's the born again experience that you're talking about, but that's the caring experience and that's the attitude that will open you up for possibly the source to show you what purpose he has for you in this world.

[00:13:38] Don: And I don't think a lot of people get to that point because as we were saying, there's a lot of selfish, all about me type stuff going on until I'm broken, until I can come to a point where I I want to, Know my creator. I want to know why I'm here and you know one thing too I wanted to add to what was being said here is the fact that [00:14:00] you learn to like people You know because I know I there was a period of time it you picked and choose who you liked You know you get to a point where if there's a born again experience you tend to like everybody you realize that some people have issues.

[00:14:14] Don: Some people are not as kind as other people. Some people might not even like you, but you learn to like people and it changes everything because it's a servant's heart. You know, it doesn't matter what people say and do to me. I am going to treat them good. 

[00:14:27] Justin: Yeah. And you want, one thing I'll say about that is one thing I've noticed about when you have a deeper relationship with God and the more that you care about God and the more that you care about.

[00:14:39] Justin: His presence in your life, I think it directly correlates with the more you care about people. Yeah. Because you start seeing, kind of like you're saying, like people are a work in progress. You're a work in progress. God is working on you. That's right. And the more that you see him working in your life, and the more you see things improving, you understand that everyone, everybody else is No [00:15:00] different than you and everyone else is, progressing.

[00:15:03] Justin: Everyone else can be worked on. Everyone else can be worked on. And I think that, you know, I just want to go right into this because I was saying before about, we're talking about selfish people and we're talking about, I was talking about a spell of consumption that makes people selfish. I think the word selfish has such a.

[00:15:20] Justin: negative connotation surrounding it. And I think that in a lot of cases it is, it is a negative word, but I think that if you just kind of re. If you just kind of reposition the way you think about it, for instance, like saying selfish just means you're fully consumed with yourself. Yeah. Yeah. So that might mean like buying stuff and that might mean, that might mean wanting more, wanting better of a certain, quality and like your spouse or a different relationship.

[00:15:51] Justin: But it also might mean just the way you think in general. Yeah. You're, your thoughts are selfish, your emotions are selfish, meaning you're always focused on [00:16:00] your own emotions. You might cause, you might find yourself, and I'm not saying this is the reason why anyone is depressed. There's, multiple reasons why people can fall into suffering, but you might be.

[00:16:11] Justin: suffering and depression because you're so consumed with your own thoughts and emotions. If only you could be consumed with helping other people and getting other people, you know, helping them, Get out of their own slumps, but just helping people in general. If only we could be helping people, it might pull us out of that 

[00:16:33] Don: suffering.

[00:16:34] Don: This is true, you know, because when we get ourselves in a situation where it's all we see is ourselves and what pleases us and what's good for us and what we don't have, what we, you know, the life we have to live. But like you were saying, when we can put our focus on other people, we're helping them in whatever circumstances, our issues tend to disappear.

[00:16:53] Don: And then our whole attitude, and it's, it's something, you know, a lot of times you see people that do [00:17:00] run into depression and stuff like that. A lot of times they're unthankful, they're the victim. I mean, everything's against them and this and that. But when you turn it around, because I know it's the simple things you do, sometimes, and it changes the whole atmosphere, sometimes I'll walk in a parking lot, and I will stop to pick up a piece of paper, and I'll walk up and I'll put it in the trash can, and it almost makes me feel like I'm a Owner of the store or something or, you know, I'm helping out in some way or some fashion or some people say it's good karma to do that but it changes your attitude because all of a sudden even going into restrooms in Public places and stuff.

[00:17:38] Don: Sometimes I will pick up the toweling that they throw on the floor And I'll put it in the basket and make the place look nice. I mean, what does that do for me? Not much, but it helps me. And I know, uh, sometimes I feel like, as far as helping other people, sometimes I feel like I might be a little bit selfish in doing that.

[00:17:56] Don: Because I do believe that we're all going to be rewarded for the things [00:18:00] we have done on this earth. And I know that there's great rewards. The Bible talks about laying our treasures ahead by the good things we do So when we help people it is not only that we're helping the individual we're helping ourselves Because we're enriching our lives and the beauty of it once we get enough deposits up in the heavenly way, God starts to give us a little dividends on them and makes our life a whole lot easier to live.

[00:18:26] Don: And I know just to enjoy life, just to enjoy people. Yeah. And you 

[00:18:31] Justin: talked about the works that we, how it's determined by the works that we do. Yeah. And I read somewhere that it says. The wise man demonstrates his wisdom by his good life, by his 

[00:18:42] Don: good works. Yeah, he gets, right. 

[00:18:44] Justin: And I feel like, that's, that's definitely so important.

[00:18:47] Justin: Whereas like the wisdom that produces jealousy and selfishness. Yeah. Is not god's kind of 

[00:18:56] Don: wisdom, right? No, it's not. No, it's not [00:19:00] So there's wisdom you 

[00:19:00] Justin: can be given that's not from god, right? And there's wisdom that you can be given that's meant to yeah Throw you off 

[00:19:07] Don: balance or you can gain a knowledge in something But it's not real wisdom as far as how to handle that knowledge or how you respond and work with that knowledge And a lot of times people will struggle with that because they have a form of understanding and knowledge, but they don't really have the wisdom to live that and I know Myself, I like to look at as far as purpose is concerned that everything in life God has a purpose as a purpose for me and for each one of us as far as our life is concerned So no matter what the circumstances we go through good or bad God's got a purpose in all that.

[00:19:42] Don: Not only does he have a purpose for us living in life and the things we do, but he's got a purpose in everything. Even the bad things that happen to us. There's a purpose for some of that. There's a lesson to be learned. Sometimes if you don't pass the test, you got to take the lesson over again. You don't want that.

[00:19:58] Don: You want to be able to learn when [00:20:00] situations happen. A lot of times they're there. for a reason, for a purpose, because everything about God, the Bible says that God doesn't make mistakes. So I, I look at everything that happens with us, that there's a reason 

[00:20:13] Justin: for it. And you know what, I'll even say this, to add to that, you know, I will say that there's a reason for everything.

[00:20:20] Justin: And I think that explains God's perfect timing. His timing is always perfect. Whether we want to always agree with it or whether we like. The way it is going or the way we don't, you know, whether we don't like it is the timing is always perfect. And I think by saying that, I think that your purpose is focused.

[00:20:39] Justin: On the present. Yeah, your purpose is focused on your present you spend too much time focusing on Worrying about what's going to happen tomorrow focusing on the past Living in the past. Yeah yeah, and and I think that it's it's kind of hard to explain because [00:21:00] Your purpose is exactly what you're doing right now.

[00:21:02] Justin: That's your purpose if god doesn't make mistakes and if you're If There's a reason for everything than what you're doing right now. There's a reason for it. Yeah, focus on what you're doing right now Become the become the best version of yourself right now That's what we're doing at the better you enterprises here as we're helping you become the better you right now right now because I think too often we spend so much time worrying, um, and that is a huge distraction from finding our own purpose.

[00:21:33] Justin: And worrying about something, for instance, not working is what makes it not work. Yeah. I really feel like people need to hear this because what it does is it robs you of the energy. That you would actually need to make it work by worrying so 

[00:21:52] Don: much about it. Yeah, because the past is gone. Can't do nothing about it.

[00:21:55] Don: Right. And the future is something you can hope for. But the present is the only thing that you [00:22:00] can actually 

[00:22:00] Justin: do. Yeah, and the past is something you can move away from. You have an old house, you can move to a new house. This is true. You can set up shop in a new place. Forget the past, leave it back in that old city.

[00:22:10] Justin: Yeah. And welcome the new city. This is true. 

[00:22:13] Don: This is true. Yeah, and I'd like to add something to this if I could. In the fact that God has made each one of us. Exactly the way he wanted us, as far as what race we are, as far as how tall we are, how small we are, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. You know, every one of us is different.

[00:22:32] Don: I know the world says everybody needs to look this way, or look that way, or weigh this much, or weigh that much. But in God's eyes, he's made each of us exactly the way he wants us, and as Justin was mentioning here, we, um, today matters. It really does. You know how we look at it and we try to make the best of every day and we get enough good days put together.

[00:22:55] Don: We've got ourselves a pretty good life and we can start to [00:23:00] enjoy life. And like talking about the cares and anxieties, you know, the Bible says we cast our cares upon him because he cares for us. God wants to take our burdens, you know, and God has meant our life to be an easy, enjoyable life. But the problem we sometimes face, we have a hard time getting.

[00:23:20] Don: Over ourselves, we're constantly trying to find something better for us rather than surrendering a life that could possibly be better in his hands with his ideas working inside of us.

[00:23:32] Justin: Yeah, I think he knows our purpose, but we don't know our purpose and we need to seek him to find our purpose. Yeah, I think that's kind of what 

[00:23:41] Don: you're saying.

[00:23:41] Don: Yep. And he gives us clues. He gives us clues by the skills and the talents he's given us. You know, as far as serving other people, there's clues all over the place. It's what you like. It's what you're good at. It's what, you know, you're capable of doing, the talent, whatever it might be. Every one of us is different, but these are [00:24:00] clues.

[00:24:00] Don: You know, we take them before God and we say, Hey, how can I use this? Maybe to help somebody. So, 

[00:24:05] Justin: when people often talk about purpose, they talk about having a gift, right? So when you hear people say like, oh, you're so gifted or you have a gift Yeah, you hear that and you hear someone say that to somebody and it almost makes you think that that person has purpose But you might not have purpose because no one has said that about you.

[00:24:25] Justin: Yeah. Now do you having said that do you truly think that everybody has a gift? 

[00:24:32] Don: I do. I think all of us were made because I remember this story. This was interesting. I don't know I've got time for this but we got a story that I love it was a lady that had consumption and that's what they called It back then and she lost limbs and I don't know exactly what the problem was But she lost limbs and she ended up losing both of her arms and both of her legs and this missionary thought he was going to stop in and visit her and hopefully cheer her up a little bit and he was a little bit worried about [00:25:00] what he'd say but he walked in there and when he got inside of her room he looked around and he seen letters on the wall of people who wrote back to her of how much she meant to them and he talked to her and she said I realized that I had to be doing something for God.

[00:25:19] Don: So what she had arranged was a tablet and a pencil that she wrote with her teeth, and she would write letters of encouragement to people. And this missionary said when he left that place, he was ministered to, he wasn't ministering to her. But it was something that was touching because it tells you that no matter what you are, where you are, you know, if God has given you skills, there's opportunity for you.

[00:25:44] Don: And God has given us lots of abilities if we'll only use them. 

[00:25:48] Justin: And I would agree with that. And I think, um, I asked you that question, but also kind of already having my answer in mind, and I would agree, but I would say how does somebody[00:26:00] find their gift? How does somebody know what their gift is?

[00:26:04] Don: Well, I'll tell you, Justin, we'll go back to the beginning of this here. You have to go to the source, and that's where I think you do need a relationship with God, because we don't know. We don't know. We What you do is you pray to God and you have a heart after it and you say to yourself, you know, I'm going to surrender myself to you, Lord.

[00:26:23] Don: And I'm going to try to be the person I'm going to let you make and change me. I know the Bible talks about going back on the potter's wheel and letting the guy reform you. And a lot of times in life, that's what we have to do because we've got ourselves formed in a different way. But we sometimes have to put ourselves in a place where we realize that God exists and we're seeking after Him, seeking to know Him, His direction.

[00:26:47] Don: God knows our heart. You know, that's when He'll start to show us things and things will come to light, opportunities will start to rise, and we'll start to say, you know what? I feel this is it. God is showing me this. It's an [00:27:00] opportunity. Yeah, and 

[00:27:01] Justin: what you're saying about the potter's wheel, I think that's so strong because it says that we are made in His image, right?

[00:27:07] Justin: So if we're made in his image when we think about like when you think about when you create anything Building a desk or something like that. You really want to acknowledge your creation You really want to acknowledge that you are the creator And I think that in that sense that because we get that feeling and we're created in his image That's the way he feels is that he really wants the creator really wants to acknowledge his creation And really wants to lead his creation the creator wants Credit.

[00:27:41] Justin: Yes. The creator wants the acknowledgement, the accolades. 

[00:27:44] Don: Yes. That's so good, Justin. I think, I think you're nailing something here because it's glory. You know, we want to glorify God. So how do you glorify God? By doing exactly what you were created for. Yes. And we always talk about the manufacturer and makes different [00:28:00]Parts.

[00:28:00] Don: The only time that manufacturer is glorified is when that part does exactly what it was designed for and each one of us were designed for something. So if we want to give glory to God, we need to find out what we were designed for and start doing it. Great glory, great glory. And that's where you get into the Bible in different areas.

[00:28:18] Don: They considered it a great honor to give great glory to God because we show our capabilities. And that's where we live in a world where man wants to glorify himself. Wants to glorify himself or some whatever they get involved in and they don't think about the creator That wants to be glorified and that's the beauty of what God wants to do in all of our life Because he really loves us.

[00:28:42] Don: He loves his creation. He has gifted us and talented us, but he needs our heart He needs a heart that is open to seek after him and say hey Lord I want to glorify you in whatever way you show me. It does not matter Yeah, and 

[00:28:57] Justin: I think that I would say because we're [00:29:00] longing for our gifts, we don't realize how truly unique we actually are.

[00:29:06] Justin: And I think you hear that a lot growing up. You kind of hear you are unique. Everyone's unique, but a lot of people, I don't feel like that resonates with them and they don't fully understand it. And I feel like. The world itself tries to get you to conform so much and everyone to be wearing the same things and listening to the same things and watching the same things.

[00:29:27] Justin: But the world is out against the individual. I feel like your creator. In that sense, if we're speaking on the cre, you know, our creator, the potter and the wheel wants you to be unique. He's created and, and the reason I know this isn't, 'cause in the Bible it says you are a new creation. Mm-Hmm. . I think it even says you're a new creature.

[00:29:49] Justin: Yeah. What that means is you are completely unique. Something that's never been done before. That's right. You're a new creation. Yep. That's right. You're something that doesn't even exist anymore. It's a new creation. [00:30:00] And you're not meant to be like the others. You're not meant to be watching all this same Programming and listening to all the same music.

[00:30:08] Justin: You're meant to be An individual because you have a gift as an individual. This is true. And like you were saying a gift That pleases and embraces the Creator as probably the Creator's truest intention of planting a gift inside of somebody. And it really is when you, you get into a place where you can finally realize that gift or that calling or that purpose that I think sets everything 

[00:30:34] Don: into motion.

[00:30:34] Don: Oh man, the excitement of that. You know, the excitement of finding the moment you figure this out, the moment you get it together, the realizing that God has created you for a reason. I remember the first time, somebody talked to me about God and I realized that God was everywhere, you know, and to know that there's something that He's designed me for.

[00:30:56] Don: It's just like you were mentioning, we're all different. [00:31:00] We all have a different DNA. But it seems like once we connect with God, there's a little change. I think part of God's DNA gets inside of us, and it's a servant type thing. It's where we serve one another. If I got time to tell a story, I'd like to tell another story.

[00:31:15] Don: Yeah, I love stories. Okay, this is a story about, uh, these people that died and went to heaven. And they had a place called Hell. And what they had was a big banquet table with tons of food. But what it was, everybody was sitting at that banquet table had three foot forks on their hands. So they could dig into this food and it was good looking and all that stuff, but they couldn't get the food to their mouth.

[00:31:41] Don: Because the fork was too long. You know, they would go up to their head and the food would be a couple feet away from their mouth. So they eventually all just starved because they couldn't feed. But then they had a place called Heaven. Same type of people, same type of banquet hall, same type of, uh, food, everything.

[00:31:57] Don: Three foot forks in each arm. But they learned to [00:32:00] feed themselves. Each other. They started feeding each other. So they were, they, they were happy. They had a good time. They had everything they wanted. And that's the way a lot of times it's done. We are constantly trying to feed ourselves, but when we start to learn to feed others, our life completely changes.

[00:32:16] Don: We take on a servant's heart, and then, then, the opportunities and the ways that God would use us, He's well pleased with us. He's going to bless what we do. I know I, I had a message a while back. It's called, uh, Becoming Unstoppable. You know, once you figure out what your purpose is in God, in God, I, I often say that the angels in heaven start to rejoice in that moment.

[00:32:42] Don: This guy has finally, Don has finally figured it out all these years. They start to rejoice in heaven. Because all of a sudden, everything that your purpose to do, nothing can stop you anymore. Because who can stop you? Nothing. The Bible says with God, all things are [00:33:00]possible. You become unstoppable. He will give you the angels.

[00:33:03] Don: I can do all things. He will give you everything to fulfill that purpose. And that's the word all. 

[00:33:11] Justin: I mean, that's everything. I can do everything. And I think that people that are struggling to find purpose, you know what, it sounds so simple to just say, Hey guys, you got to get a presence of God in your life, and now everything will turn around, and you'll have this magical, fiery moment where it sparks something inside of you that cannot be stopped.

[00:33:32] Justin: That's easier said than done. How, I guess, how The way I want to frame this is for a lot of people, it's hard to allow God into their life because they view God as something that needs to be feared. That's even talked about in biblical context of the fear of the Lord. It actually says in the Bible that wisdom is the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

[00:33:59] Justin: Yeah. And some [00:34:00] people would say. Well, that just sounds strange. And, you know, some people who, um, maybe you're a little bit more emotional, which is no problem, but a little bit more emotional would say, why should I? Be afraid of somebody that's supposed to be helping me. Yeah, how would you answer that? What would you say the fear of the Lord is besides the 

[00:34:21] Don: beginning of wisdom?

[00:34:21] Don: I do have an answer for that and have the fear of the Lord actually is a respect of God Okay, it's a respect of who he is It isn't like we have to fear him because he's gonna be squishing us and all that stuff But he is the one that's got the direction for us. It's I see a lot of problems in our society today because young children have no respect for seniors or their parents, none of this stuff.

[00:34:46] Don: I see that all the time. You know, and they could be Greatly blessed. I 

[00:34:50] Justin: see kids that are literally fighting with adults and like beating them up and knocking them out Like young kids crazy crazy on video and stuff like that. It's 

[00:34:58] Don: just crazy Yeah, and they could [00:35:00] have a they could have so much in life if they'd only give respect where respect is and that's where in the bible it talks about the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.

[00:35:09] Don: So if you want wisdom, you have to respect God for who He is, and not fear Him, because God loves you. He really does. He wants the 

[00:35:16] Justin: best for all. So you're saying it's actually a respect. It's a respect. So it's kind of like It's kind of like the way we think of fear. Yeah. It's not the way at all that the Bible considered what fear was.

[00:35:26] Justin: No. When pertaining to God. 

[00:35:27] Don: No, it's, see, this is something that has to be established in a good family. There's discipline. There's discipline. It's done in love. But there's discipline and that discipline puts a little bit of a respect into the child where they realize that they have to do what they need to do or they're going to have to pay the penalties for not doing it, you know, and until we have even in business, sometimes you get employees that are just lackadaisical, they're doing anything, they're goofing off.

[00:35:57] Don: They have no respect at all for [00:36:00] supervision. See, supervision has to find a way of disciplining in a way, in a loving way, caring way. Say, I, I think you're a great guy and you do good work and everything, but your characteristics, because I know, I remember one time talking to a bunch of managers in a company I worked for.

[00:36:15] Don: I told him you never reprimand anybody in front of their other people, but you take them into your office. And you tell them how good they are and how much you appreciate them, but there's an area in their life that they need to clean up. You know, and you tell them that. They can respect that. They'll walk out, they haven't been damaged, but they can respect that.

[00:36:33] Don: I think God does the same thing in our life. He does it in a In a respectful way, He disciplines us. You know, anybody who really wants to have a life with God, you want Him to direct you and guide you. If there's foolishness in your life, you need some direction, but you need to develop that respect. And I think this fear is a respect for God, for who He is.

[00:36:54] Don: And once you develop that, then you can gain His wisdom. He will show you things. I [00:37:00] respect you. The things you say, the things you want to show me, I respect that. 

[00:37:05] Justin: Yeah, I agree with that so much. And I think in my own personal experience, I would say that the fear of the Lord, the way I would explain it is exactly how you're saying is respect.

[00:37:15] Justin: And that respect is earned when he does, when he, when he makes an impact in your life, when you are allowed to possess the level of peace that you're given, when he makes such a, uh, a crazy change in your life that you start realizing that, okay, What this guy is doing in my life is way better than anything I Ever was doing.

[00:37:37] Justin: Any of the way he's handling things is way better than I was handling things. So I respect him because I want more of this. I want more of this. I want less of what I had before. And I think that's where the, almost like the fear comes in. I would even say like, the fear is a fear of losing him because you want him so bad.

[00:37:56] Justin: Prevalent and dominant in your life, and it [00:38:00] sounds weird to somebody who's maybe listening to this who doesn't really, understand or relate, but that that's the feeling that you get, because up until then, you haven't solved things, as good as you wanted to, you haven't thought about things as good as you wanted to, and maybe you were suffering, maybe you were falling into, patterns of constant guilt and shame and when something comes into your life and really changes things for you and really makes you better.

[00:38:25] Justin: It does. You, just like being in a relationship with some woman or some guy that really makes you better. Not only just is good to be with, but makes you better. That's right. You don't want to be without that. No. 

[00:38:39] Don: No, that's for sure. You fear losing that. That's right. That's right. And my, for myself, I developed that mindset.

[00:38:46] Don: You know, I realized that the answers are all there. And the ticket of the whole thing is what a place called eternity, a place that everybody, it's a hard word to grasp, but [00:39:00] you realize that there is a place that everybody's going to be involved in someday, you know, and, and you can't get it wrong. I know I look at life.

[00:39:08] Don: I say, Whatever needs to be done, I need to be doing this. I can't get this wrong. This isn't a dress rehearsal. This isn't a time out where I can go back and redo something. No, this is the real game that we're in. That's where, as you mentioned earlier, Justin, about, every day is an individual day.

[00:39:26] Don: I try to do the best I can. The past is gone. Future I can hope for. But I need to live that day the best I can and become the servant I need to be to develop any understanding, give God an opportunity to speak to me in different ways, find time to be alone maybe with Him, sit down and, and allow Him to share thoughts in my mind, entertain these types of thoughts, but finding ways that I can glorify Him, finding ways to get Him.

[00:39:54] Don: On my good side, you know where he's working for me where he's sending his [00:40:00] angels or whatever I need To help me with what i'm doing because he sees great glory in both you justin myself and anybody that's listening He sees glory in our lives. He's willing to invest Big stuff to see that happen. And that's the beauty.

[00:40:16] Don: That's the mindset that I know myself that I needed to get into and I believe everybody needs to get into this mindset because so many people as you had mentioned Justin about Distraction so many people are just being distracted by everything. They don't think of God at all they don't think of a purpose or any of this sort of thing and the Clock is ticking.

[00:40:37] Don: I, I, sometimes I look at the clocks that they put up with the national debt and how fast we're getting ourselves in the debt. Well, I look at life sometimes where God's got a zero point and the clock is trying to zero itself off and it's going 100 miles an hour and I'm spending seconds right now talking to everybody.

[00:40:56] Justin: And you know what, I would say that, very. Basically, after [00:41:00] what you're saying, to anybody that's listening, in order to have a relationship with God, do you have to read the 

[00:41:08] Don: Bible? Well, I'll tell you this, I'll tell you this, Justin. Well, for the first, um, I'd say about 1, 400 years after Jesus Christ was on this earth, there was very little written word, 1, 400s that the first printing press was put together.

[00:41:27] Don: They would take bits and pieces of scripture. But in, in the disciples in the beginning, they had no, they had the Old Testament, you know, in scrolls. And I don't think they carried a whole bunch of scrolls when they walked around, but I think it's a relationship with God. I think reading the Bible is important.

[00:41:44] Don: I think it, you know, the Bible talks about it imparts itself in us. So I think it's a tremendous tool. And today's day and age, We have all the tools out there. I look at this and someday we will have no excuse, but I think the more word you can get [00:42:00] inside you, it helps you make your decisions. It helps you to respond differently in life.

[00:42:05] Don: It allows God to enter in. Because he was the word but I think back in those days in the earlier days They had a connection with God, So a lot of and they would minister to each other and I've heard stories where people would have little passages in Scripture They would share this with each other or like Paul the Apostle.

[00:42:25] Don: He wrote letters the epistles They would hand them out, and they'd send them they'd save these letters because they felt the things of God in them Yeah, I think the word, the Bible is a very powerful tool, but I don't think it's the only tool that a person needs. 

[00:42:42] Justin: I agree with that, and I was just thinking about this as you were talking.

[00:42:44] Justin: I was just thinking about how we keep talking about, focusing on the present. Yeah. And I thought about an alliteration in my head, because I like to think of, I always like to think of catchy things. Yeah. And I was thinking of pursue, pursue your present to find your [00:43:00]purpose. Pursue your present for your purpose.

[00:43:03] Justin: Yeah. And I think that in the pursuit of your presence, in your present moment, you'll find your purpose. And to somebody who's just completely oblivious to the Bible, and they're thinking right now, You know what, Don, you're sounding very, you're sounding very persuasive. Justin, you're sounding, you're sounding a little bit less persuasive, but still persuasive.

[00:43:29] Justin: Okay, God, I want to have a relationship with you, right? I opened my Bible. Where do you think somebody should start when reading the Bible? You think they should just start from the beginning? Or what, I guess, what book would you recommend for somebody getting into the Bible? 

[00:43:42] Don: Myself. I like the book of James, you know, because I think it's, yeah, it's got a lot to be said there.

[00:43:49] Don: I like the book of James. I like the gospel. A lot about faith and a lot about wisdom. That's right. That's right. And I like the gospels. You know, you read about Jesus, you read about the genealogies, and then I get into the epistles. [00:44:00] Book of Acts is the history of the church. So if you want to read about what took place in the beginning after Jesus left this world and the church was birthed, you read the Book of Acts, you know, and it talks about all the stuff that took place with them.

[00:44:15] Don: You know, and then gradually you get into the Old Testament because the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. So a lot of the stuff in the Old Testament was physical examples of spiritual things that have taken place in the New Testament. So I think it's all there.

[00:44:34] Don: But in answering to what Justin was asking here, I think, you know, some of the books like James, you know, getting into some of the Gospels, I think the Gospels 

[00:44:42] Justin: are so important. You know, I think when I started getting into the Bible, I started reading Matthew. I think John is actually really good, too. Um, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.

[00:44:53] Justin: You know, it's just there's so much there. There's so much just in that. Yeah, just in that part alone to [00:45:00] unpack, but Matthew is good, you know, just all the, um, the testimonies of Jesus and, and, um, and I would say the, the resurrection and everything involving that. Yeah. Because I think that's what separates Jesus from anybody else is Jesus beat death.

[00:45:17] Justin: That's right. He 

[00:45:18] Don: completely beat death. Yeah. 

[00:45:20] Justin: So when people say like, they, you know, I feel like when people are so Intune with Jesus, and it might sound cliche, for people that are so in tune with Jesus, but that's because you are tapping into the spirit, you're tapping into the mindset.

[00:45:38] Justin: In some cases, you're tapping into the potential of somebody who 

[00:45:42] Don: beat death. Oh, yeah. Yeah. 

[00:45:44] Justin: And all these other people, that were around, uh, at that time witnessed it. And there's, there's a lot of people that would denounce it as well, too. Yeah. But Yeah, it'd be death. So there's really, nothing not to support for, you know, when [00:46:00] you just look at it that way, of course, it's going to be controversial because that's just how these types of topics are.

[00:46:06] Justin: But I think at the core aspect, you're talking about believing in something. That is going to make you better, and it's going to give you a limitless potential. Oh, yeah. Because the only thing that we thought that was stopping us in this world, the person that lives in, within you, as long as you 

[00:46:22] Don: believe him, he beat it.

[00:46:23] Don: Yes, he did. Yes, he did. And it's interesting, because the people who say they don't believe in God, you know, I always ask them when their birthday is, and they'll say the day, the month, and the day, and the year, and I says, okay, what does that year represent? This was the amount of years after Jesus died, so it's all based on Jesus Christ Every bit of life is based on him and him being here.

[00:46:45] Don: It's either before he came or after It's all based on him 

[00:46:49] Justin: the entire the entire world when you think about that. Yeah, it's 20. It's 2000 23 years after the death 

[00:46:57] Don: of Jesus. Yeah. 

[00:46:58] Justin: Yeah, and then even it's [00:47:00] even kind of crazier before that because then the It goes bc so it starts counting down backwards.

[00:47:05] Don: That's right. That's right Yeah, it's it's crazy. And then I know a lot of times it Christmas time. They'd always ask me to give them a nice Christmas message. And I always talk about Jesus being born into the world and how we celebrate it on December the 25th. But I always tell them, but there is another birth.

[00:47:25] Don: Where Jesus is born, and that's where he's born into us. You know, that's where there's another seed, just like Mary, is born into us. That's where, as we allow him to develop us, it's him walking in our shoes and doing the things, the things that we do. are no longer us, but it's him living inside of us that's doing that when you get back to the servant's heart and reaching out for people.

[00:47:51] Don: This is all Jesus. And I know like a lot of times I see people and I can see by their actions. I say, I wonder if this person [00:48:00] had an encounter with Jesus Christ, just by seeing the things they've done, seeing the heart that they have, and that's where we need to get ourselves into a place where there is a new birth.

[00:48:11] Don: I always tell these people, you should be able to have another birthday. It's the day that Jesus was birthed into your life, you know? That's something 

[00:48:19] Justin: we should definitely highlight. 

[00:48:20] Don: Greatest gift to the world. 

[00:48:22] Justin: Yes, a second birthday. Yes. I think nothing says purpose like having a second birthday.

[00:48:28] Justin: Yeah. I don't think there's a greater purpose than that. That's right. Like, that was the day that I was born, but that old me has passed away. That old me is gone. This is the birth of something new. I'm a work in progress. 

[00:48:39] Don: I'm a work in progress. 

[00:48:40] Justin: A new attitude. A new focus. Yeah. A new drive, a new ambition, a new inspiration, a new motivation, a new determination, a new patience, 

[00:48:51] Don: a new love.

[00:48:52] Don: Yes, yes. But it doesn't happen overnight. Oh, it doesn't. You know, it's just giving a, you know, it's just like a child being [00:49:00] conceived. It takes a while for it to develop. And, uh, it's same thing in our lives. It doesn't happen 

[00:49:05] Justin: overnight. And I think that's the best thing for someone to hear right now, to be honest, is it doesn't happen overnight.

[00:49:11] Justin: No. But, I think I said this maybe last week, and we're kind of teeing off a little bit from some of the messages from last week, but having said that, having known that it doesn't happen overnight. God is gonna meet you right where you're at. He can use you right where you're at. Exactly where you're at.

[00:49:29] Justin: So when I when we talk about focusing on the present, Yeah, everything in your, if everything in your life happens for a reason, you're exactly where you need to be right here in this moment. Yeah, 

[00:49:40] Don: right here. He knew 

[00:49:41] Justin: from the beginning. Right here, listening to this podcast. You're exactly where you need to be and not saying that this podcast is going to change your life.

[00:49:52] Justin: I believe God's going to change your life. But this podcast is just a vehicle to bring you closer to him. And that just shows that everything that you've [00:50:00] done in your life up until this point, he says, behold, the old is passed away. It's gone. He doesn't remember it. The sins that you committed, I'm sorry, he doesn't remember them.

[00:50:11] Justin: You, as long as you, repent and I think we'll, we'll get into that. Maybe in a later episode, but as far as what repentance means, I feel like there's a lot of a gray area around that word Repentance it almost has a negative connotation to but as long as you you change your mind We'll call it that you change your mind and you acknowledge that you were doing things wrong and you want to do things the right way He's gonna work 

[00:50:33] Don: for you.

[00:50:33] Don: That's right. Yeah, you're his glory. You can't find glory unless He finds it in His creation. 

[00:50:40] Justin: And you're not gonna find, you're not gonna have His glory and not find purpose. That's right. You're just, you're not gonna have, you're not gonna find His glory without achieving 

[00:50:50] Don: purpose. Yep. My purpose is to be a screwdriver.

[00:50:54] Don: If I'm not turning in the screws, I'm not doing my purpose. But that's where God will help us, [00:51:00] no matter whatever. That's just a simple example. That's 

[00:51:03] Justin: a good example. I mean, everything has its purpose. I think everyone is living in a world right now where they have no idea where to find their purpose. And I know I said this in the beginning, and I feel like it just needs to be mentioned here at the end, is that there are so many things out there that are trying to distract you from your purpose.

[00:51:22] Justin: There are so many things that are never going to lead you actually to finding a purpose. There's one thing I can guarantee that's going to allow purpose to come into your life, and that's 

[00:51:37] Don: Jesus Christ. Amen to that, Justin. 

[00:51:40] Justin: And I would say in closing on purpose here, for people who are, completely lost for our wandering folks out there.

[00:51:50] Justin: What is the best advice with all the wisdom that you have done? What is the best advice you would give them besides everything that we have already talked about? What is the [00:52:00] best advice you would give them? The next step. What do I do? What do they do to find purpose 

[00:52:05] Don: in their lives? Well, I would tell them to stay tuned because every week we're going to be talking about the things of God.

[00:52:13] Don: That's right. I know myself when I first got started, I needed a good chance to plug the podcast. That's right. I needed to be around hearing it, you know, and I got around people that talked it and lived it. And so eventually it became a part of me. who I was. And that's where myself, my life wasn't really going too much anywheres prior to hearing about the things of God and how wonderful living for God can really be.

[00:52:42] Don: It's been good. Well, 

[00:52:43] Justin: I think that wraps it up 

[00:52:45] Don: for today. This was a good one, Justin. 

[00:52:47] Justin: I think so too. Hey, we're glad you guys found your way here today. And we hope you can join us again next week for another good word. Until then, 

[00:52:57] Don: stay blessed by the best. [00:53:00] See 

[00:53:00] Justin: you guys.