A Life of Purpose
Have you ever stopped to think about your purpose in life? For some, it is caring for your family. You leave for work every day with the mission that you’re going to provide financial means for your family to survive. For others, your job is your purpose. You’re focused on your career and are working to build upon and expand your professional world. But what if you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t know what my true purpose is.” Maybe you’re doing something that you feel is fulfilling your purpose, but you still feel empty. What does that mean?
Ecclesiastes 12:13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.
Solomon wrapped up his book with a powerful statement. No matter what we’re doing in life, we all need to base our lives on fearing God and obeying His commands. After all, what is life if we don’t have God? And how can we have a relationship with Him if we aren’t listening to Him?
Solomon continues in 12:14, God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
There are no secrets from God. He knows our hearts, he knows our minds, and ultimately he knows our purpose. We can’t hide from that or run in the other direction. Take a look at Jonah. He sure did try to run in the other direction. Not only was he unsuccessful in outrunning God, but he also ended up in a large fish for 3 days.
As Christians, our purpose should be doing what God has asked of us. That is spreading the Gospel and helping others grow more towards Christ (Matthew 28). Does that mean we can’t focus on our careers and family? Absolutely not. Not everyone is called into full-time ministry work. Not everyone is gifted the same. We’ve all been given our own special blend of spiritual gifts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4) to take part in the body of the Church.
When we start to follow God’s lead, we start to see a real sense of purpose. We start to fill that feeling of emptiness in our lives and carry out missions from God that make us feel satisfied and complete. We begin yearning for more and asking God for more. We begin intersecting our gifts and the desires of our hearts (Romans 8:27) and finding that true sweet spot that brings more joy than we could have ever imagined.
Philippians 3:9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
When we break away from what the world tells us our purpose is, we start to see that Christ’s righteousness is our purpose. We want to experience His power and even suffer with Him through trials that come up in our lives (James 1:2). Here we start to find that true and everlasting joy that we so desire to have. We find our purpose in taking more people onto this eternal journey with us.
When you’re down and thinking there is nothing that can satisfy you, discover Christ’s plan for your life. Serve Him and listen to Him. Let Him guide you through this increasingly difficult world that we live in. Let Him light your path (John 8:12) and guide you through the joys of life. Let go of all of those things that bring you down and falsely market themselves as fulfilling. Let Christ fill that God-shaped hole in your heart. Let the Spirit teach you and help you use your gifts to positively impact people. Let him fuel you with joy.
To live a life of purpose is to God and enjoy His fellowship and guidance forever. It’s the beginning of sanctification and that road leading to that day when we will stand before Him. The start of the journey towards hearing those two simple words: Well done!
-Dan Joseph, Executive Pastor
Ecclesiastes 12:13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.
Solomon wrapped up his book with a powerful statement. No matter what we’re doing in life, we all need to base our lives on fearing God and obeying His commands. After all, what is life if we don’t have God? And how can we have a relationship with Him if we aren’t listening to Him?
Solomon continues in 12:14, God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
There are no secrets from God. He knows our hearts, he knows our minds, and ultimately he knows our purpose. We can’t hide from that or run in the other direction. Take a look at Jonah. He sure did try to run in the other direction. Not only was he unsuccessful in outrunning God, but he also ended up in a large fish for 3 days.
As Christians, our purpose should be doing what God has asked of us. That is spreading the Gospel and helping others grow more towards Christ (Matthew 28). Does that mean we can’t focus on our careers and family? Absolutely not. Not everyone is called into full-time ministry work. Not everyone is gifted the same. We’ve all been given our own special blend of spiritual gifts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4) to take part in the body of the Church.
When we start to follow God’s lead, we start to see a real sense of purpose. We start to fill that feeling of emptiness in our lives and carry out missions from God that make us feel satisfied and complete. We begin yearning for more and asking God for more. We begin intersecting our gifts and the desires of our hearts (Romans 8:27) and finding that true sweet spot that brings more joy than we could have ever imagined.
Philippians 3:9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
When we break away from what the world tells us our purpose is, we start to see that Christ’s righteousness is our purpose. We want to experience His power and even suffer with Him through trials that come up in our lives (James 1:2). Here we start to find that true and everlasting joy that we so desire to have. We find our purpose in taking more people onto this eternal journey with us.
When you’re down and thinking there is nothing that can satisfy you, discover Christ’s plan for your life. Serve Him and listen to Him. Let Him guide you through this increasingly difficult world that we live in. Let Him light your path (John 8:12) and guide you through the joys of life. Let go of all of those things that bring you down and falsely market themselves as fulfilling. Let Christ fill that God-shaped hole in your heart. Let the Spirit teach you and help you use your gifts to positively impact people. Let him fuel you with joy.
To live a life of purpose is to God and enjoy His fellowship and guidance forever. It’s the beginning of sanctification and that road leading to that day when we will stand before Him. The start of the journey towards hearing those two simple words: Well done!
-Dan Joseph, Executive Pastor
Recent
Archive
2023
April
2022
2021
2020
2019
No Comments