Purpose

On my way to work this morning, I sat across from a gentleman neatly dressed in dark slacks. I didn’t think anything of it, and was actually surprised when, after having sat near him for the first quarter of the trip, I noticed he had a companion: a jet black Labrador, sitting perfectly still between the man’s legs, resting his chin on the man’s knee. I smiled, as the man gently stroked the dog’s face and head, the dog obviously appreciating the attention. I thought to myself, “Even dogs have a purpose. This dog was created to be a guide dog. If God would create a dog for a purpose (not a purpose for a dog!), how much greater, then, is His purpose for us?”

Purpose by one definition is the reason for which something exists or for which it has been done or made. As Christians, we are constantly to seek the perfect will of God in coming to understand what our purpose is. According to the Bible, in Jeremiah 1:5, God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." The meaning of the word “knew” here is the same as the word “chose”, meaning God chose you before He even formed you. And not only did He choose us, but He created us for a specific purpose. However, it is our responsibility to daily seek God and ask Him what His will is. In other words, you may ask Him, “Lord, what would You have me to do or say today? Where would You have me to go? Who shall I witness to, and how? What is Your purpose and plan for my life?”
In asking God to reveal to us our purpose, we grow closer to Him, and He knows that we are sincere in fulfilling that which He has created us for. Our individual purposes can be small or great, and in time – God’s time – that divine purpose will be revealed to each of us, as long as we keep seeking. Don’t be discouraged if you find yourself praying over and over again asking the Lord to show you His will and purpose for your life and have not yet received an answer. If He revealed it all to us all at once, it’s likely that we wouldn’t be able to handle it, or we might even try to create our own will out of fear or just not wanting to do His will. Stand firm and know that, as you seek, so shall ye find.