God Has A Specific Purpose For You!

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."   -Charles Kingsley, Bits & Pieces, December 9, 1993, p. 16.

Who hasn't ever asked themselves, “Why am I here?” For that matter, have you ever wondered about the meaning of life? Or, for what purpose do you exist? What on earth did God put you here for?

It's true, we may not fully understand the reasons God has put us here, but we find our hearts stirred to seek and find that purpose out. Romans 8:28-29 says that God has a purpose for our lives, and that all things work in our lives to further that ultimate purpose.

To have a purpose in life is a guiding and steadying influence. What you are "up to" in life is one way of describing your purpose in life. Another way is to think about what you consider most worthwhile. All of these are the same way of asking, “Why are you living?” “What is your purpose in life?” We simply must have some overall purpose in life.

What is God’s purpose for our lives? That we might, “become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). That's the reason you and I exist. So that we might look more and more like Jesus. We also exist so that we would be brought into total conformity with the life of Jesus Christ in every aspect of our very lives. And, that we would walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and do whatever it is Jesus would do.

Joseph Addison said, "The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." Those elements give us a reason to get up in the morning and to keep pursuing our dreams even when they seem out of reach. We are made to live on purpose.

Ernest Hemingway, the literary genius, said this about his life: "I live in a vacuum that is as lonely as a radio tube when the batteries are dead, and there is no current to plug into."

This is a startling statement, given the fact that Hemingway lived his life in a way that would be the envy of any person who had bought in to the values of our modern society. Hemingway was known for his tough-guy image and globe-rotting pilgrimages to exotic places. He was a big-game hunter, a bull-fighter, a man who could drink others under the table. He was married four times and lived his life seemingly without moral restraint or conscience. But on a sunny Sunday morning in Idaho, he pulverized his head with a shotgun blast.

There was another side to Hemingway's life, one that few people knew about. He grew up in an evangelical Christian home in Oak Park, Illinois. His grandparents were missionaries, and his father was a devoted churchman and friend of evangelist D. L. Moody. Hemingway's family conformed to the strictest codes of Christianity, and as a boy and young man, he was active in his church.

Then came World War I. As a war correspondent, Hemingway saw death and despair all around him. His youthful enthusiasm for Christianity soured, and he eventually rejected the faith in Christ that he once had embraced.

Placing God in the center of all you do is the first step in knowing your purpose. The Bible says that you were created for God and not the other way around (Isaiah 43:21; Ephesians 2:10). God says if you place Him first He will take care of everything else. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added on to you (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31).

If you don't get what you want, it's a sign that you didn't seriously want it. It's the same way with the purposes of God. If we're not willing to invest our time and resources, we'll miss it all the time because we're too involved in worrying about what we want. Living without God's plan for our life is like driving a car without an engine, or riding a bike without tires. We go nowhere fast!

God wants us to live vibrant and thriving lives. God has given us this power so that we can do the very works that Jesus Christ did in the Gospels. How does this apply to you? You were designed by God for a specific purpose. Your purpose defines who you are. How badly do you want to reach your potential and fulfill your true purpose in life? Are you hungry for Christ? It will take the passion of commitment on your part to keep growing, learning, and going forward.

Scripture: Psalm 138:8; Romans 12:2; Job 22:21; Philippians 4:13; Psalm 57:2; Colossians 3:23; John 14:6

Prayer: Dear Lord, our time on earth is short. Please help me realize that it is not the amount of time, but the quality of the time I spend that counts. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Alison