A Pearl of Great Value

Preface

 God has impressed upon my heart that women must be reminded to see themselves through God’s eyes. This is the origin of the writing of this book. I taught the secular version of this book at a local community college. Because the impact of believing in these women had such a profound impact on them, God moved me to begin to write the biblical version of this class.
 The true strength to live a God-given purposeful life is in our belief in what God says in His word about God’s redeemed people. Are you one of God’s redeemed? Accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and repenting of your evil ways is the beginning of redemption. On our own power, we fall, lose steam, and revert to our human understanding of what we can accomplish. We then fall short of what God envisions for our lives.
 We all need a huge dose of encouragement to get a God-sized belief that God has ordained much more for His glory. This is displayed as we seek God’s purpose for our lives and live it every day.
 God has allowed me the privilege of seeing the growth in these women He has given me to shepherd, and I count it a true joy and a blessing. I look forward to hearing how God will speak to your heart as you do the exercises in the book.
 
 
Prologue
 In autumn 2007, Sarah was at her wits end. Her husband was in the prime of his business life, busy with exciting opportunities coming his way every day, it seemed. Sarah’s children had finished college and were involved in their own lives. To say she was suffering from empty-nest syndrome would be to underestimate the pit of loneliness in which she found herself.
 Sarah thought she was too old to return to school, even though she was always a good student. She believed she had to weigh the financial investment with the financial return she would receive by starting a new career. “Can I justify going back to school?” she thought.
 Her husband questioned the viability of it as well. His questioning created even more doubt in Sarah’s mind as to whether she was worth the investment. She remembered enjoying writing in college, but she wondered, “who really cares what I think anyway? What do I have to offer other people?”
 Sarah was stuck in an unfulfilling life, not trusting that she had anything of value to offer. She often questioned her value in the lives of her family and in society as a whole. Sarah confided to a church friend that she was feeling lost and insignificant. Her friend listened patiently, hearing Sarah’s heartfelt desire somehow to contribute to society.
 Knowing Sarah was floundering on her own, her friend recommended a Christian life coach. Sarah decided to interview this coach and learn about life coaching. She liked the fact that coaching was a partnership with her to take her from Point A, where she was that day, to Point B, where she wanted her life to go, and she hired the life coach.
 Within the first month, the coach had Sarah defining her values and evaluating whether she was living in harmony with those values. Sarah realized how important her faith was to her wellbeing, but also recognized she was starving her faith by the way she spent her time. Upon reevaluation, she restructured her schedule to spend more time with God, the author of her life and life purpose. Through those changes to her agenda, Sarah could explore her strengths and passions to see where God would direct the next season of her life.
 Recalling how much she had enjoyed writing in college led to a new found confidence to write extemporaneously. Soon thereafter, Sarah applied for a job as a writer with a monthly magazine her city newspaper published. She was now putting her faith to work in writing spiritual lessons through every day events with which the average person could relate. Having found a fulfilling niche, she felt renewed vigor to live her life to the fullest. It was amazing how much better she felt once she identified her God-given purpose for this season of her life..
 Can you relate to Sarah’s season of discontent? Do you question your value to society and to God? Perhaps you wonder if there is more to life than what you are experiencing. God wants you to experience the abundant life He has planned for you, but it requires connecting intimately to the life giver, Jesus.
 This book will help you find your life purpose and live life to the fullest. God did not create you for mediocrity, but, rather, for power and influence in the world. Continue reading to see how you can discover your God-given life purpose. God knows your name and your struggles. God knows the pearl of great value He has place in you. Trust God to guide you in that revelation.

  
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
 Matthew 13:46