Going on a sailboat is fun, but getting lost isn’t.
Going for a drive can be relaxing, but getting lost without a map isn’t.
Walking in the woods can be relaxing, but getting lost without direction isn’t.
Wandering aimless in life can be exhilarating, but eventually it helps to have a little purpose in life…not a lot, but just a little……
So..as Christians..what is our purpose?
Wander aimless?
Have something to check off on a piece of paper?
Or maybe God has called us all to something that is bigger than all of us?
29 Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord,30 and you must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with all your being, with your whole mind, and with all your strength.31 The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31, Common English Bible)
Notice that we are not called to do anything else before our Father in Heaven, followed with loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. If we want the best for us….it would seem natural that we would extend to wanting to do the same for those around us, as we, ourselves like to be treated.
Growing up….we all have dreams of what we want to be, some reach it, some find their lives changed and going on to different things, but one thing unites a follower of Christ, that no matter what they choose as their “career” or “choice in life”, there is one common ground that goes before that and that is, in all that we do, it’s not about us in the end, but that in the end, it will glorify God, Himself, so those who ask the reason, we turn to Him, not to us.
I had shared this quote and how fitting it is, a reminder of our life “purpose”:
“You have been wishing for another position where you could do something for Jesus: do not wish anything of the kind, but serve him where you are.” – Spurgeon
We can easily underestimate our abilities and feel that we don’t have what it takes unless it has monetary value or success value.
Truth is, God doesn’t look at rank, age, amount of money, or status.
He looks at how and what He can use us for, so that when others look at us, its not about us, or who we are, or what we are, or what we do, but will encourage them, to look at Him, and will give Him the glory.
Sometimes what He has blessed us, is the very thing, the very purpose, He can use and by following Him, His will, His purpose, we would discover what it is that we truly can do in and through Jesus Christ.
We all have a purpose…it doesn’t matter who we are, but as followers of Christ, we ALL have a purpose, first and foremost to proclaim and glorify our Father in Heaven and to share His word.
Simple.
Yet, it would seem like the hardest thing to do. Maybe we just like to over-complicate things more than we really need to?
You would do well to measure all people by God’s standard — to measure them not by the amount of their income — but by the condition of their souls. When the Lord God looks down from Heaven upon people, He takes no account of many things which are highly esteemed by the world. He looks not at a person’s money, or lands, or titles. He looks only at the state of their souls — and reckons them accordingly.
Oh, that you would strive to do likewise! Oh, that you would value grace above titles, or intellect, or gold! Often, far too often, the only question asked about a person is, “How much is he worth?” It would be well for us all to remember that every person is pitiably poor — until he is rich in faith, and rich toward God.~J.C. Ryle
Did you know that the word, “gospel”, is Old English for “good word”; What do we do when we have a “good word” or “good news”? We like to share it….and what better news to share, than the saving knowledge of what our Father in Heaven has….
So what does this have to do with purpose?
We are all called to be ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor 5:20) and part of being reconciled with God, is sharing His word, being His light to the world, a deliverer of His saving grace.
What greater purpose is there than that and something we all can do from our homes, via our words and particularly our actions as we are caring for our family, our friends, are out and about in the world, while working and we’re not just talking about sitting down and saying, “Do you know Christ”, but letting our actions speak for ourselves as well…It means living a life, in and through God, that let others see Him in us, even when we don’t use words.
Looking for a purpose? Start with God and go from there…….
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