But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! Jer 20:9 (NLT)

Jeremiah and the fire in his bones – Part 5

Go to  PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  PART 4

What you do doesn’t make you holy. It doesn’t earn you more of God’s favour. You already have these things. It’s never been a question of whether or not you deserve them. His love is a gift. All of life is a gift.

So, take it.

Let go of the expectations of the world, the pressures of the day, and the constructs of our culture; let God come underneath, around and through your hopes and dreams, skills and talents. He fulfils your true self. You don’t have to sacrifice who YOU are to pursue him and his purposes. It's the pursuit of God that unites us with our originality. And this divine partnership/entanglement/engagement between you and the Divine is where the real “magic” (miraculous) happens.

When we read the story of Jeremiah, we discover that he was born with a particular purpose. And it was not at all an easy or comfortable vocation. At one point, Jeremiah found himself struggling under the pressure of his calling as the rejection and judgement of the people weighed heavily upon him. He asked God, “why me?” (sound familiar?) Through a fervent and desperate prayer, he told God that he didn’t want to be his voice to the people anymore and that he would keep his mouth shut. Silent.”

But after his declaration of silence, he said,

“But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

What’s the fire in your belly? What is it about you that when you keep it hidden away in your heart sets your bones burning with suppressed destiny? Don’t listen to what people think you should be doing, or what the world says is success, or what marketing says you need. Find the fire, follow the inspiration, look for the spark; pray and seek God, find that thing that you love to do with your whole being and let God ignite it with His love and grace.

Then, with the deepest and most pure obsessed devotion, pursue it with all you have.

St Catherine of Siena, one of the two patron saints of Italy, together with St. Francis of Assisi (FYI) said,

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

Yes, get advice, listen to those who love you, seek God in everything you do and surround yourself with wisdom. That's a no-brainer. But at the end of the day, your life is yours. Take responsibility for it. The pursuit of your calling and the releasing of your true self is a journey of disciplined learning and growing; of overcoming and being determined. It’s not for the faint hearted. But you, my friends, do not have faint hearts. There is fire within you.

Take God's gift of love, embrace without hesitation whatever it is that makes you come alive – that lights up your spirit and sets sparks in your eyes. Your calling and purpose are God's love gifts to you. What you do with it is your gift to the world.

So, step out in confident faith and be and do what only you can.

Go to Part 6 – Pages in the Book of Life »
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