Purpose. What is purpose? I’m realizing now I’ve never really talked about it. I think it’s because I don’t think I understood it. What do we think of when we think of purpose? Do we think of a specific job? A life we think for ourselves that’s our purpose? Do we think purpose is specifically designed only for pastors, worship leaders, or others in ministry? When we look at it deeply, truly, and biblically what does it say? There is nowhere it says that there are only certain people and certain things that can serve a purpose. Not only ministry or missionaries or other servants have a purpose for the Lord. The Bible says we ALL do. Then why is it so hard for us to realize our purpose? Maybe, we’re right. Maybe sometimes our purpose is our job or our family. And yes, those are great and amazing things and those are perfect ways to spread the word of God.
I think we can all agree that our purpose is to spread the word of God, make disciples, and do good works. But it’s so confusing on where we fit into that. We can do that with friends, we can do it with our family, our work place, but how do we know what our purpose is? How do we know we’re getting it right. As I’m asking these questions I guess I don’t really know the answers either. Sometimes we don’t know what our purpose is until it’s over with and we look back on it and the Lord reveals it to us.
I have an example. This summer, I had the chance to work at a summer camp that I had been a camper at for 6 years. I didn’t know how I felt about going, I was nervous, I didn’t know if it was the right choice for me to go. I was going to be 7 hours from home and me being a family girl I didn’t know when I would see them. I prayed and prayed for God to use me, that He would protect me, that He would reveal what He has for me. I got 3 weeks in, and I was tired, I was frustrated, and I was confused because I had no clue what purpose I had for being there. Then, I had the opportunity to share my testimony with my campers. I wanted to share with them the goodness and grace of God that had been shared with me. Later that night, one of my campers had to go to the nurse and asked if I could go with her, I said yes and walked her to the nurse’s office. On the way back she shared with me that she was currently walking through a lot of the same things as I had and asked how I did it. My heart broke for her, but I rejoiced in that fact that I could share God’s love with her. I asked if I could pray over her and she said yes. Days later when the campers were all going home, she wrote me a letter. She thanked me and said some other encouraging things. In that moment I knew that was the purpose I had there. My purpose was to show and share God’s love nothing more and nothing less. It wasn’t a big spectacle it wasn’t some well thought out plan I had or something that would give me praise or recognition. But something that would give all the glory to God and that is something so much sweeter than I could have ever thought of. And that small thing made all of camp worth it, and the frustration and exhaustion was gone because that moment made it worth it.
See purpose is something God has for us and we are just the vessels. I think we get caught in this idea that purpose is worldly thing, and something that is tied to a church, job, or family. And yes I am not discouraging any of those things, I am encouraging that if you don’t know what your purpose is, or don’t know where in life the Lord is going to take you, be reassured in the fact that whatever it is, God’s love and plan is what is going to shine through and that is something so much better.
Here are some bible verses I have found on purpose:
Proverbs 19:21- Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Ephesians 2:10- For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Proverbs 16:4- The LORD works our everything to its proper end- even the wicked for a day disaster
Acts 13:36- Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed
I hope you find comfort in the fact that our one true purpose in life is to spread God’s love and do good works. I hope you find comfort in the fact that purpose can be found in such little moments and little things. I hope this brings you peace in knowing that your future is filled with a purpose for God. I get so caught up in what my future looks like and if I’m living my purpose or not, but it is all in His timing and His way and we just have to trust. I hope you pray over this and ask the Lord to reveal what He wants you learn. I pray over that for you.
Lord thank you for this day and the many blessings you have brought to me, Lord I pray you continue to work in the purpose You have for my life Lord, I pray over everyone who reads over this, I hope you speak to them Lord, I pray you bless them in their purpose and I pray they live out their purpose in the way You intend, Lord you are so good, thank you for your everlasting love and grace Lord. Thank you, Amen.
If you have any questions, or need to talk about anything please, please, please reach out, you can find my email on here or DM me or message me in any way or I encourage you to reach out to someone you trust to talk to. Thanks for reading- Liv