Where Do You Look For Your Purpose In Life?
Several days ago I was privy to a conversation in which a woman stated she had no purpose in life because she could no longer work. She also stated she had no hope because her life was full of endless suffering. Praise the Lord that a few people involved in this conversation were able to offer her solace and hope for a new day but I've thought a lot about her words over the last few days. Where do I find my purpose in life? Where do I look for hope for a better life? Let me ask you those questions. Where do you look to find your purpose in life and where do you go to find hope for a better life?
As human beings, we tend to try to find a purpose that will cover everything from birth to death. "I'm going to be the President of the United States." or "I'm going to start a company and turn it into a multibillion dollar corporation." The purpose you have in mind probably isn't that ambitious but it probably has something to do with a longterm goal. Maybe it's simply that you are going to stay married for over 50 years and raise children and grandchildren. No matter what it is, if your life's purpose is tied to a long term goal then you have a problem. Such purposes can be ripped away from you at a moment's notice, exposing your empty shell and leaving you questioning your very existence on this earth. Similarly, if your hope is tied to the things of this world (to your accomplishments or to your finances for example), then it, too, can be stripped away from you without notice and you will be left hopeless.
How, then, should we define our purpose in life and where should we place our hope. I'll answer the easy one first. As the old hymn says, "Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness." Our hope is in an eternity with the Three-in-One, the Master and Savior, Himself. If we are suffering, the Scripture says our suffering is nothing compared to the glory which will be revealed when we get to Heaven. If we are in grieving, Revelations says Christ, Himself, will "wipe away every tear." If we are in need, the Bible teaches that God will provide for our every need. If we ill or disabled, we will be healed whether it be on earth or in Heaven. Our Hope is in Eternal Life with our Lord, Jesus.
But where is our purpose? Our purpose is in Him as well. Christ gave us a purpose when He said to Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and body, and to love others as ourselves. He gave us a mission statement in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." So our overall purpose is to be a light in this dark world.
He does, however, give Christians unique roles to play in this mission. One Christian might be a pastor and another a Bible Study leader. Your role may be to smile and make people feel welcome as they come to your church or to send out cards letting people know you are praying for them. You might be great with children and your role could be to volunteer in the nursery or children's class. You could even be someone whose role it is to work in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Every Christian has a role to play in the Body of Christ. The trick is learning what your spiritual gifts are and how to apply them. If you want more information on what your spiritual gifts are and how you can serve, your pastor should be able to help you.
I know this has been a long one but I want to remind you of two key points. First, every Christian has the ultimate Hope and the ultimate Purpose in life. Second, even when you forget where your hope or your purpose come from, Christ is still right where you left Him, waiting on you to turn around and go back to Him. Remember, you're the one that leaves Him behind, not the other way around.
As human beings, we tend to try to find a purpose that will cover everything from birth to death. "I'm going to be the President of the United States." or "I'm going to start a company and turn it into a multibillion dollar corporation." The purpose you have in mind probably isn't that ambitious but it probably has something to do with a longterm goal. Maybe it's simply that you are going to stay married for over 50 years and raise children and grandchildren. No matter what it is, if your life's purpose is tied to a long term goal then you have a problem. Such purposes can be ripped away from you at a moment's notice, exposing your empty shell and leaving you questioning your very existence on this earth. Similarly, if your hope is tied to the things of this world (to your accomplishments or to your finances for example), then it, too, can be stripped away from you without notice and you will be left hopeless.
How, then, should we define our purpose in life and where should we place our hope. I'll answer the easy one first. As the old hymn says, "Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness." Our hope is in an eternity with the Three-in-One, the Master and Savior, Himself. If we are suffering, the Scripture says our suffering is nothing compared to the glory which will be revealed when we get to Heaven. If we are in grieving, Revelations says Christ, Himself, will "wipe away every tear." If we are in need, the Bible teaches that God will provide for our every need. If we ill or disabled, we will be healed whether it be on earth or in Heaven. Our Hope is in Eternal Life with our Lord, Jesus.
But where is our purpose? Our purpose is in Him as well. Christ gave us a purpose when He said to Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and body, and to love others as ourselves. He gave us a mission statement in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." So our overall purpose is to be a light in this dark world.
He does, however, give Christians unique roles to play in this mission. One Christian might be a pastor and another a Bible Study leader. Your role may be to smile and make people feel welcome as they come to your church or to send out cards letting people know you are praying for them. You might be great with children and your role could be to volunteer in the nursery or children's class. You could even be someone whose role it is to work in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Every Christian has a role to play in the Body of Christ. The trick is learning what your spiritual gifts are and how to apply them. If you want more information on what your spiritual gifts are and how you can serve, your pastor should be able to help you.
I know this has been a long one but I want to remind you of two key points. First, every Christian has the ultimate Hope and the ultimate Purpose in life. Second, even when you forget where your hope or your purpose come from, Christ is still right where you left Him, waiting on you to turn around and go back to Him. Remember, you're the one that leaves Him behind, not the other way around.
posted by Amanda Brady | 12:54 AM
<< Home