Are you ready to engage into the greatest business opportunity conceivable?
What would that be? Being in God's will! Do not assume that to be in God's Will, our lives must be harsh and filled with no fun! God's purpose may be vague; yet, our call is to respond out of our love, which comes from the grace He provided as a result of the guilt of sin!
We are to shoot the arrow even when we cannot see the target! Our aim is His purpose and our obedience. The goal is for us to grow in our love relationship with Christ, INTIMACY WITH HIM! Just as a boat tied to a dock, so are we when we first become Christians, then we have the opportunity to venture out into the depths of His sea. We will run into swells and storms on the way, yet God will anchor us by our faith, and we will go through it. If we do not venture out from the dock we will experience a storm in the shallowness of our port of will. And a storm at the dock will cause major damage and frustration, because we do not have the richness of depth to protect us and enable us to go through. Growth is the essential element.
Purpose in Scripture is usually stated as seeking after God or after God's heart. This is not about salvation, because in salvation, it is God who seeks us. Rather, Purpose is our determination to place Him first in our lives and allow Him to lead (2 Tim. 1:8-12).
The greatest job of all is to make our LORD known. You may not be called into full-time Christian service, but we are all called to make disciples: Matt. 28! Whether we are working in a grocery store, dusting a field, or placing control rods in a nuclear reactor, as a Christian we model Christ in all we do. People see Christ reflected in what we do, say, and how we respond!
So, if you drive around like a jerk, speeding and cutting people off, while sporting a fish on your bumper, what do people see? A Christian is a jerk! Nothing is bigger than modeling Christ. There is nothing that can replace God's will, yet, we try so hard to do so. Too many Christians just go to church, and stay in their sub culture and never venture out to spread the Word.
How much of what you do will count 10 years from now, or 20, or 100, or 10,000 years? In the grand scheme of things, is there dignity? Is there significance or value in what you do vs. serving the LORD? Even if your feelings and identity are based on what you do, can you safely say it is greater in purpose than the Creator of the universe? You know it is a big universe!
If we allow Him, God will reveal to us what He is about to do! And this revelation will be our invitation of indentation to join: for He is able!
There is simply nothing out there that will give you greater purpose and significance than to follow God's will! So, are your plans filling His great purpose? You may not be called to go to Outer Mongolia or fill the pulpit in a church; but are you fulfilling His purpose in your life and growing in maturity? We must be fishers of men whether we are selling hamsters or serving in the U.S. Senate. We are in the business of mirroring Christ in our lives! Following God's will is life's greatest adventure and reward!
Phil. 2:5-8 states Jesus came as God's servant, to accomplish His will to redeem us from our fallen selves!
· To be a servant, we are to be as moldable as clay in His hands!
· We can do nothing apart from God!
· With Christ working in us, we can do anything!
THOUGHTS ON OUR PURPOSE
- Are you devoted to yourself or to God?
- The highest point of morality to us is what we already know; God will take us higher!
- God is working to change our purpose into His.
- What is the most powerful influence in your life, how does this affect you?
Purpose means knowing who we are in Christ and what He has done for us, then acting out our relationship and redemption by being obedient to God's will. It is the pursuit of God so He becomes the driving force, inspiration, motivation, and reason for all we do in life. That is, we devote our life, character, virtue, Spiritual Gifts, abilities, and call so the best can be realized in all people and all situations. And my friend, this IS GOD"S WILL! The meaning of life is not about career, money, or power; it is about relationships and developing character, fruit and love, knowing Him and pursuing Him as LORD. These are the only real things you can take with you to Heaven (Psalm 57; 138:7-8; Prov. 19:21; John 15; Romans 8; Phil. 2:1-18).
How can I do this?
1. Focus on Christ as LORD. Set aside time each day to focus on the purpose for your growth and maturity (Psalm 119:130; Isa. 42:16; John 4: 23-24; 15), and then make it a priority. In doing so, you will be able to "go for it" with passion and vigor. Make sure it lines up with His precepts and not your wishes! Let Christ transform you through His Word and prayer. Attitude is essential!
2. We must learn to yield to the Lordship of our God and not to the desires of our will. It means following His plans, not our own, obeying His will, not our own. When we do this, the discipleship process can begin. Our maturity and character development will commence and further develop. However, when we refuse, we will be the strife and conflict that gives Christianity a "black eye." We will be the problem rather than the solution (John 3:30; Gal. 2:20-21).
3. Discipleship is a lifestyle. As we step into the lives of others, the purpose for loving them is simply because He first loved us; then, we become instruments of His grace.This can start by our realizing that Jesus "authors" our faith, and teaches us how to run the race according to God's will, His glory, His worship, and His purpose. Thus, we gain a deeper intimacy with our Lord as our Commander and Friend, as our God and our King and the provider of Grace, as our Love, and our reason for being. In His purposes, we find real contentment, joy, and fulfillment!This is summed up in this adage: we cannot be doing the work of God unless we are the people of God. We have to be growing before we can have a direction and before we can be effective!
4. We must realize our circumstances are temporary. Our life here and now is not the ultimate purpose for our lives or God's plan. We are in the process of learning and growing. Our situations and relationships will grow and change, while new opportunities will be brought to us; but, most importantly of all, our ultimate meaning of life will have eternal treasure and results. We will be able to take our eyes off our problems, place them on Christ, and follow His lead for more impact and meaning in life that will bring more hope and contentment (James 1).
5. Purpose will bring you a life that has a reason to it. God created you as special and unique; He gave you talents and abilities, and brings you opportunities to use them. Purpose will help you see these aspects, His call, and your prospects. Then you will be willing and able to put your faith into action for His glory. The side effects? A life that is more joyful and content! Yes, there will be ups and downs, but with the Creator on your side, any plans you may have had become insignificant; they would not bring you even close to a life that is meaningful!
Purpose has hope; it allows us to live with the perspective of eternity, so we are not bogged down in our dire circumstances.This moves us from the complacent Christian life to the purposeful Christian life, from just playing church to really being a church. It comes from understanding that God's purpose and plan is to make us His children, this is His will(1 John).
© 1994, 2001 R.J. Krejcir http://www.intothyword.com/
Richard Joseph Krejcir, is the Director of 'Into Thy Word Ministries, 'a discipleing ministry. He is also a pastor, teacher, speaker is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California and has amounted nearly 20 years of pastoral ministry experience mostly in youth ministry, including serving as a church growth consultant.