The Purpose of Life
We earn a living by what we get. We leave a legacy by what we give.
We must remember that if we're too big to serve, we're too big to lead.
We all face hardship and joy in life, yet everything we lose or gain is temporary. The only exception is salvation through Christ, a reality transcending eternity.
The first two things to understand are: God loves you!!! and He made you in His image.
Because we are all made in God's image, we will exist for eternity. This fact creates a much greater purpose to our lives and infinite value in God's eyes as everyone has the choice to seek our Creator and ask for the wisdom and availability to do great works.
This divine wisdom is described in James 3:13-18.
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason,
full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere." - James 3:17
Have you ever wondered why the human race has a far superior intellect compared to all of the other known creation? This is our evidence from God that we are not just made of flesh and bone, but of the spirit. Our souls are all connected to the multidimensional
universe through our spiritual image of God which lives after our physical bodies perish.
Our eternal life is the greatest gift any conscious being could ever be given, yet this also adds important purpose, responsibilities and consequences to our lives. This reality brings peace and purpose to our lives, while fulfilling our most precious talents and our potential since we are all so valuable to God.
God has plans for everyone in this life and the multidimensional universe waiting for our eternal consumption. Do you have faith? Are you available to do good works?
"For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."
What is Temporary and What Lasts Forever?
In our era of busy schedules and high technology, we are bombarded with distractions that lead us to invest our time focusing on material concerns and our own self-interests. This seems quite normal while living in a world where we are often preoccupied by a job, school, family, and paying bills. Add a countless array of entertainment options like social media, TV, shopping and hobbies and there isn't much time left over.
Ultimately, our personal relationships and everything we acquire or strive to maintain in this life is temporary. When we are done renting our aging fleshy bodies, everything that we cared about over our lifetimes comes to an abrupt end.
In the Book of Ecclesiastes 12:7 it says:
"And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
If we adjust our viewpoint on life to one that includes a relationship with God and the after life, we can start to gain an honest perspective. Everyone has the potential to build a foundation and make amazing accomplishments that last forever beyond our current lifetimes.
The first step to understanding our true purpose in life is to approach our creator with humility by accepting and honoring God's glory. Acknowledging God's glory is essential to spiritual life as it fosters an alignment between our human perspective and divine reality, promoting humility, gratitude, and a greater purpose. Recognizing God’s supreme worth, power, and virtue will shift focus away from self-centeredness onto a greater, hope-filled, cheerful and charitable perspective.
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
The second step to finding a greater purpose with life is to pray without ego. When set our selfish desires and idols aside, God really starts to work to fulfill our true purpose.
Even though we think we know our desires and what's best, God is by far a better judge of what is truly best for us, our own future and for those around us. The fact is that we don't know what we don't know. Thankfully, God does! He already knows every single event from the beginning to the end of our Earthly lives and forever.
Fulfilling our own desires is a natural part of life. But when we invest time and our talents without ego helping others, we are building a foundation that carries on beyond our own personal self-interest creating opportunities to make unimaginable accomplishments that last forever in this life and eternity.
In 1st Corinthians 3: 11-15 it says:
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
These verses explain that Christ died on the cross for YOU! He has already paid the price for our sins and made the ultimate sacrifice in the eyes of God by living a sinless life and experiencing death by crucifixion. Amazingly, our only requirement for salvation is faith!
Not only is our eternal existence guaranteed, but this reality now frees the human race from worrying about their own salvation to a new availability to focus on helping others!
What Can We Do To Fulfill our Purpose?
For many, having a career in a ministry or missionary field is a way to serve the Lord.
But for most of us, we can find countless other ways to serve God and fulfill our purpose.
1) Honoring God - Honoring the grace of our Creator and being grateful are the very first steps to fulfilling our purpose. Like demons, believing in God does not mean we honor or respect God. Those who truly honor God's glory, live by His word. We should recognize God's glory and thank God every day for the gift of life and for sending His Son as a sacrifice in forgiving our sins.
2) Repent - God expects us to recognize our sin and ask for forgiveness. Admitting our transgressions and showing remorse for our sins will gain God's respect and forgiveness. We are also expected to forgive others for their transgressions.
3) Prayer - Prayer is our way to build a personal relationship with God and ask for guidance with life. Praying without ego brings the greatest results. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus provides great advice on how we should pray. The power of prayer serves as an opportunity to worship the Lord, but also to ask for divine advice relating to every aspect of our lives and those in need. Prayer is normally not meant as a request line for favors but can become very powerful when we approach the Lord without ego by asking God to use our abilities for His glory through good deeds and service for the benefit of others. Praying for your own benefit or reward will likely not bring the results we hope for unless it is a part of God's greater plan. Patients is often a part of the equation since God works in our best interest and knows if, when, and where our requests are best served.
4) Read the Bible - The Bible is God's word. Its authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Every word in the Bible is divinely inspired and for our benefit. The more we read, the better prepared we are in life to discover our true purpose, avoiding life's pitfalls, reaching our potential and understanding the Holy Spirit.
5) The Holy Spirit - An important part of life is understanding how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. The Holy Spirit is the 3rd aspect of the Trinity (Father, Son and the Holy Spirit). It was commissioned by God to be our teacher, bringing wisdom to those who seek God's glory. We can learn to recognize the Holy Spirit through our own intuition or "gut feeling".
6) Representing - As Christians, we are all ambassadors for Christ. When we interact with the World, it is up to us to show kindness and compassion to others. Living a life of humility and showing forgiveness towards those who may not treat us fairly will go a long way to make a positive example in the name of Christ.
7) Sharing the Gospel - Like Jesus we are all fishers of men. Sharing the gospel often starts by making friends and helping others. People are more compelled to listen to those who they know and trust. Teaching others about the Bible does not stop with those that we witness to either, because they will have the power to share the gospel with others themselves.
8) Invest Time & Money - Volunteer and donate to charitable causes. By investing our time and money to help those in need, we can change the lives of the unfortunate forever.
9) Make a Stand - Sometimes the right decision isn't the popular one. Being willing to be unpopular and/or displaying rare courage like a Good Samaritan can also change lives and set a powerful example. Evil often prevails on occasions when Christians take the easy path and are afraid to act or disagree with what may be popular in secular society.
10) Encourage One Another - This applies to both the lost that may need direction and an example of God's love, or for supporting fellow Christians who may be burdened or need aid for a worthy cause. Encouragement can be a powerful tool to doing great works.
11) Authority - When we have positions of authority or leadership, we must realize that our position is a blessing from God. Jesus used his position of authority to spread the Gospel, a message of love, respect and service for each other. He ended up sacrificing His life as an example to God and mankind. While we probably won't have to give up our lives, we must pray for guidance, be fair and use good judgment with those that we lead.
12) Be Ready! - Missing our opportunities and wasting our potential can have a negative domino effect on our lives. It takes a conscious effort on a daily basis to do good works. Hindsight is 20/20... A lack of availability might be the single biggest hindrance to fulfilling life's purpose for Christians around the World.
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect" -1 Peter 3:15
Opportunity
Every Christian has the potential to show compassion, perform good deeds and be a guiding light for the world but it takes availability and action to make this happen.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way,
let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16
Our purpose, God's plan, can be fulfilled through our career, our hobbies, family, friends, a charity or serving at church. We should never stop discovering new ways and looking for opportunities to serve the Lord as we live our lives.
If one follows the 12 suggestions above, life's purpose and our unique talents will not only be revealed, but our works will glorify God while shining on others in rewarding ways for oneself and those around us.
In the end, our ultimate purpose, no matter what our gifts and abilities include, is to be a guiding light that points to Christ and His eternal salvation. And like some corporate sales pitch, this really is a numbers game as every day is a new opportunity for us to make this bridge for the lost as accessible as possible having compassion and mercy.
Helping others to understand the salvation of Christ through our availability, motivation, relationships and communication skills is our greatest purpose. Every single day is a blessing and an opportunity to personally learn and grow from our own life experiences.
If this availability becomes our routine, opportunities will assuredly arise in ways that were previously unimaginable.
Each and every day, the most important thing we can wear is the expression on our face. A friendly smile or a sincere greeting is how we make a good first impression and how opportunities often begin.
Ultimately, Jesus suffered great persecution, giving His life so that we could have eternity.
Are we not indebted for His grace? God is the one who gave us the gift of life and is also our ultimate judge. God spans time, knows our hearts, our futures and our best interest. He has a unique plan for everyone. Will you be ready?
Understanding the parables that Jesus taught his disciples is a great way to prepare.
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