Do You Know What Your Purpose Is?
Good Morning Friends,
Do you know what drives you and motivates you? Is it to be happy and enjoy life? Perhaps it is to live a moral life, have a good job and raise a good family with a good future. All these goals though may be short sighted. Things change. That is why God has placed eternity in our hearts. And here, at the heart of the matter, we discover that if there is one thing we all need, if there is one thing we are all to know, if there is one thing that we all need to do, it is to trust Christ’s saving work of love on the cross and respond to it. To do this we have to, as Christians, deal with our doubt. We must realize that doubt can provoke the salvation of a lost person and also paralyze the service of a believer. I have experienced in my life and perhaps you have too, that
one of the most formidable game changers in dealing with doubt is to imitate others being a persistent and a quite witness. Do You Know What Your Purpose Is?
Scripture: Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.
Philippians 3:12-17 (NRSV)
Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7 (NRSV)
28We know that all things work together for good* for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NRSV)
11For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NRSV)
16But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me* and to those in which I will appear to you.
Acts 26:16 (NRSV)
Message: Yogi Berra once said that, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re likely to end up someplace else.” Maybe he was right. There are a lot of people the world tells us to imitate with the false promise of success. We cannot all be Michael Jordan…nor should we want to be like Mike in all ways. Ultimately we must consider the future and resolve to follow one that best matches our personality. Of course the purpose is to glorify God, but this is not something to multi-task. God has a purpose for you and me that he knew before time. Indeed God has been working in our lives long before we began working with Him. So we need to follow with one line of thought over a period of time to settle on a pattern of lifestyle that keeps us on track, focused and empowered to achieve much. And God help us if we have multiple personalities and become a “jack of all” if we never get to be the “master of one.” Most people are coached and nudged into becoming proficient in a trade or occupation, but I am not thinking here or feeling here that the real message is about learning a trade… or even making three point game winning shots at the buzzer. No the message here is about becoming good at loving and resolving to focus on a future that has overcome the past because of persistent love. Today’s message is about the power of a persistent and quiet witness that over time erases our doubt. It is about being that witness. It is about finding joy in spending our time discovering our purpose, establishing priorities and making a plan of action with others and then carrying it out. Here as members of the Body of Christ we learn to work together. Here we learn that our purpose is to become in partnership with the source of our being. The very breath of life is to be in relationship with our physical being and God’s actions. All these relationships combine to form who I am and who you are. Here we sense what it means to be one. Friends, the community …the world is waiting for us to join together to carry out our assignments. Our Lord does not come to us to discover what we would like to accomplish. He encounters us in order to reveal His activity and invite us to become involved in His work. Are you ready for your assignment?
Pray we are not blinded to our purpose. Pray we praise God for the good example of Jesus. Pray we know what God is calling us to do. Pray we encourage loving role models. Pray we live as examples of persistence, discipline in Bible study and prayer for others. Pray we admit our condition and accept the cure. Pray we have a purpose rooted in a love for others that glorifies our Savior. Pray we seek our purpose in the Body of Christ. Pray we are bold enough to dare to care. Pray we understand our purpose. Pray our purpose gives meaning to our lives. Pray our purpose simplifies our lives. Pray our purpose prepares us to live. Pray our purpose keeps us focused. Pray our purpose motivates us.
Pray we fit into the purpose of the church through our purpose. Pray God works us into His harmony. Pray we are ready to ask the Lord, “What would you have me do?”
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 