It’s my life
It’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just want to live while I’m alive
(It’s my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I’m alive
It’s my life
~ Bon Jovi

This week at Bayside Community Church, Pastor Randy Bezet started a new series called “My Life. It is what it is…or is it?”.  The first lesson in the series is about living an extraordinary life.  Sometimes I think that we as Christians forget the kind of life that God wants for us.  Most of us, me included, try the best we can but in the end sometimes settle for less that what we really desire.  You know…it is what it is.  My life is nothing extraordinary, but what can I do about that?  Do you realize that that is what God wants for us?  He wants you to live an extraordinary life.  He doesn’t want you to live a mediocre, or just an average life.  Isn’t that good news?  He wants us to have so much more but we often settle for less.  But, the question is, how do we get this extraordinary life we want and God wants for us?  Well, we have to make an effort too and God will meet us there.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

The first step in living an extraordinary life is to realize God’s perspective.  We need to see ourselves as God sees us.  This is not easy.  We tend to look at our lives and our situations through our own perspective.  Kind of like looking through glasses that don’t belong to you.  Everything is fuzzy.  But, if we saw things through God’s perspective, things would look a whole lot better.  Pastor Randy used a great illustration to help us to understand this.  Let’s say that you are about to go on a cruise.  You have never been on a cruise before.  You have booked the trip and you have the brochure.  You can look at all the pictures and think “Wow, this looks great”, but without any first hand experience, all you have is the brochure.  You count the days until you go and then the day finally arrives.  You step onto the ship and you are amazed!  It is better than the pictures.  You can eat anything you want anytime you want.  You can see shows, play games, swim, rock climb, eat, and do anything else your heart desires!  And this is God’s heart for you.  He doesn’t just want you to see it and wish for it…he wants you to live in it.  Isn’t that great news?

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)

Secondly, you have to realize that the responsibility is yours.  God has great plans for you and you may have great plans too, but they aren’t just going to happen.  You can’t just write down something on a piece of paper, call it a resolution and just expect it to happen all by itself.  You are going to have to take some steps on your own and God will help you get there.  For example, if you want to become healthier, you are going to have to make the effort to exercise and eat better.  If you want to be better off financially, you are going to have to make some changes in your finances and take steps towards that goal.  You cannot keep doing what you have been doing in the past and expect to get a different result.  Hosea 10:12 (GNB) says this…Plough new ground for yourselves, plant righteousness, and reap the blessings that your devotion to me will produce.  It is time for you to turn to me, your Lord, and I will come and pour out blessings upon you. See, God is saying, you do your part and then I will do mine.  But, the responsibility still lies within you.  You have to be willing to take a risk and not be afraid to fail in the process.

Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galations 6:9 (NIV)

Finally, we must reset our focus.  If we get our thoughts right and our focus right, we can live an extraordinary life.  Whatever you think about or set your attention on, you will hit it every time.  If you focus on the bad and what is wrong in your life, that is what you will hit every time.  But, if you put your focus on God, you will be running into Him all year long.  Proverbs 4:23 (GNB) says this…Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. As they say in sports…”You have to keep your eye on the ball.”

What are you focused on for 2010?  Do you believe that God can do extraordinary things in your life?  As I thought about this sermon, a few things popped out for me.  There are some areas in my life that I feel as if I have hit a brick wall and they are just not changing.  But, what have I done to make them change?  Where has my focus been?  This year I am going to make some changes, take some risks and start living the extraordinary life that God wants me to live.  One thing that I have done is I committed to reading the bible in 90 days.  I started on January 1st and I am proud to say that as of today, I am current with my reading.  I have tried to read through the bible so many times, but have never been able to stick with it.  But I am this time.  I think that this type of tenacity is what is needed in all areas of my life.  I think that once I conquer this, the sky is the limit!!  What is waiting for you??

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