LENTEN Reflection Day 18: God’s purposes for our lives

God’s purposes for our lives

Scripture points to five purposes God has for his children while we’re here on earth:

1. We are here to learn to know and love Christ. God made you so he could love you, and he wants you to love him back. Expressing our love to God is called worship.

2. We are here to learn to love Christ’s family. God formed you for his family. Repeatedly, the Bible tells us that it is impossible to love God and not love his family. We are called to belong, not just believe. This is called fellowship.

3. We are here to learn to grow in Christ. You were created to become like Christ. God wants you to grow to spiritual maturity, and our model is Jesus himself. This is called discipleship.

4. We are here to learn to serve Christ. God did not create you to serve yourself but to serve him, and here on earth we serve him by serving others in Jesus’ name. Jesus says, “Only those who throw away their lives for my sake … will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35). This is called ministry.

5. We are here to learn to share Christ. Once we’ve accepted the good news, God expects us to pass it on to others. This is called evangelism.

God establishes and develops these purposes in our lives through the Word of God renewing our minds (John 17:17), through the Spirit of God transforming our character (2 Cor. 3:17–18), and through the often painful circumstances of life causing us to make choices (James 1:2–4). Enjoy your LENT season. Rev Samuel Muwonge.

Ebigendererwa bya Katonda eri obulamu bwaffe

Ebyawandiikibwa biraga ebigendererwa bitaano Katonda by’alina eri abaana be nga tuli wano ku nsi:

1. Tuli wano okuyiga okumanya n’okwagala Kristo. Katonda yakukola asobole okukwagala, era ayagala oddemu omwagale. Okulaga okwagala kwaffe eri Katonda kiyitibwa okusinza.

2. Tuli wano okuyiga okwagala amaka ga Kristo. Katonda yakutondera ab’omu maka ge. Enfunda n’enfunda, Baibuli etugamba nti tekisoboka kwagala Katonda n’atayagala ab’omu maka ge. Tuyitibwa okubeera ab’omu, so si kukkiriza kwokka. Kino kiyitibwa fellowship.

3. Tuli wano okuyiga okukula mu Kristo. Watondebwa okufaanana Kristo. Katonda ayagala okukula n’okukula mu by’omwoyo, era ekyokulabirako kyaffe ye Yesu yennyini. Kino kiyitibwa obuyigirizwa.

4. Tuli wano okuyiga okuweereza Kristo. Katonda teyakutonda kuweereza wekka wabula okumuweereza, era wano ku nsi tumuweereza nga tuweereza abalala mu linnya lya Yesu. Yesu agamba nti, “Abo bokka abasuula obulamu bwabwe ku lwange ... be bajja okumanya kye kitegeeza okubeera omulamu ddala” (Makko 8:35). Kino kiyitibwa obuweereza.

5. Tuli wano okuyiga okugabana ku Kristo. Bwe tumala okukkiriza amawulire amalungi, Katonda atusuubira okugayisa mu balala. Kino kiyitibwa okubuulira enjiri.

Katonda ateekawo era n’akulaakulanya ebigendererwa bino mu bulamu bwaffe okuyita mu Kigambo kya Katonda okuzza obuggya ebirowoozo byaffe (Yokaana 17:17), okuyita mu Mwoyo wa Katonda okukyusa empisa zaffe (2 Kol. 3:17–18), n’okuyita mu mbeera ezitera okuluma mu bulamu ezituleetera okusalawo (Yakobo 1:2–4). Nyumirwa EKISIIBO.

Rev Samuel Muwonge.