👋 Happy Monday!
IN THIS ISSUE
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Welcome to Remarkable Monday. This is our corner of the internet where we get the inspiration and insights to crush our content goals for the week ahead. Make yourself at home and feel free to hit reply if you want to get in contact with me, your host. I’m Mark Patterson, and my hope for you this week is that you make it remarkable!
Today’s edition is directly inspired by a recent time of devotion and prayer. I felt so strongly that I needed to share this with you before digging further into content strategy this month.
Uncertainty
I felt a strong urge to pray for you this week, and here’s why…
The uncertainty you’ve been sensing as it relates to the next act of your life is not random––not at all. There is truth to that inner question you keep asking yourself.
“Am I missing something?”
This question persists despite the number of accolades you receive, the letters and degrees that follow your name, or the rooms you’ve entered that you once dreamed of.
I hate to break it to you, but the missing piece isn’t something you can strive and obtain; it’s intangible.
I was reading Matt 3:1-4:11 today, and I was reminded of what happened to Jesus after He was baptized. Chapter 4 picks up the story when it says,
“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil...”
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Can I echo what I said earlier? This uncertainty or wilderness is anything but random. What you are walking through is an intentional test. Instinctively, you know the ascent before you will not happen by accident. So you’ve been making the necessary moves: developing, sharpening yourself through community, and investing in yourself.
You’ve been checking off the boxes to show up as the best version of yourself, not just for the people who depend on you but for you, which is a major win! But there are some key takeaways from the clarity Jesus had during this period of testing that both you and I can benefit from.
Weekly Playbook
(Verse 2) First and foremost, he fasted. This is not the season to be consuming any and everything. Ingredients matter. The source matters.
(Verse 4) And speaking of what we consume, we have got to live by the Word.
(Verse 7) Let’s refrain from unnecessary warfare. This is not the time to be out here testing God by putting ourselves in voluntary crises to see if He is going to “come through” or “get us out.”
(Verse 8-10) Be very clear on who deserves our worship and service. Our worship (uninhibited love, attention, and care) and service (work done to help or benefit others) belong to God. And any person, pursuit, or idea that tries to take His place is an idol that must be dealt with. This is very important to remember when weighing what we can gain against the temptation to sacrifice His place in our lives.
And it was in these areas of clarity that Jesus not only passed the test but thereafter began his ministry.
Question for You
Are you ready to pass the test?
If you’re reading this far…
I hope this message finds you well. I’m sharing from my heart in hopes that you will be inspired to unearth and live out your God-given purpose. Hopefully, something I said resonated. I would love to hear from you if so. Please feel free to reach out to me on social media.
FYI: I’m mostly active on LinkedIn these days. If you were forwarded this message, you can subscribe here to receive thoughts like this directly in your inbox. And don’t forget to check out the latest episode of my podcast, ConvoRoom with Mark Allen Patterson.