Live with Purpose

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Gentlemen, every day is a battle. A battle for your faith, your family, and your purpose. The men who stand strong don't prepare when the battle arrives, they prepare before it begins. Welcome to the men's morning devotion. Let's get into God's word. It's time to man up.

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Happy Friday, man. Welcome back to our final day in Proverbs chapter 9. I'm Danny Woodgos, and this week we've talked about where wisdom begins, being willing to receive correction, staying teachable, and leaving behind what holds us back. If you missed any episode, go back and listen and get ready to tune in with my brother Christian next week. He has something really good prepared for you. Here's your metap moment for the day. A wise man doesn't just live longer, he lives with purpose. Proverbs chapter 9, verse 11 says, For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. At first, this verse sounds like it's simply talking about living a long life, but there's something deeper here. Solomon is showing us that wisdom affects the way we live. The choices we make today can shape the direction of our lives tomorrow. And when I think about living with purpose, I immediately think about Jesus. Jesus didn't simply wake up every day and see what happened. He knew why he was here. He knew the Father had sent him. There were moments when people wanted Jesus to go in a different direction. Moments when crowds wanted more miracles. Moments when people wanted him to become the king they expected him to be. But Jesus stayed focused on what the Father had called him to do. In John chapter 4, verse 34, Jesus said, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. That's purpose. Jesus understood that his life wasn't just about what he wanted, it was about what he had been called to. And I think that's a challenge for us as men. It is easy to get busy without actually being purposeful. We can spend years working, taking care of responsibilities, scrolling through our phones, and paying our bills. But at the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, am I actually living for what matters? Because being busy and being purposeful are not the same thing. I want to say that again. Being busy and being purposeful are not the same thing. God has given each of us a limited amount of time. And wisdom teaches us to use that time well because your family needs you, your marriage needs you, your children need you, your church needs you. The people God has placed around you need the man God is shaping you to become. And that doesn't mean you need to do more things. It means you need to focus on the right things. Jesus knew when to serve, when to rest, when to pray, when to speak and when to walk away. Don't let life become something that just happens to you. You only get one life. Make it a life that points people to Jesus. Here's your man up challenge. Take five minutes today and ask God what is one thing you want me to focus on in this season of my life? I will encourage you, write it down, and then take one practical and very intentional step toward it today. Let's pray. God, we thank you for the life you've given us. Help us not to simply stay busy, but to live with purpose and wisdom. We want to be bold, we want to be courageous, we want to be strong. And we need you for that. We need your spirit to dwell within us, and we need you to guide every single step that we take. Help us to be leaders, help us to be an example for everyone around us, and help us to live with purpose. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

All right, gentlemen, you've heard God's word. Now go live it. Lead well, stand strong, honor God in everything you do. Share this devotional with another brother. Remember, every day is another opportunity to man up.