Know Your Purpose

 There is a lot of conversation around the question, "What is my purpose?"  As people,  most of us like to know the WHY behind our life.  Rick Warren wrote a best selling book called, "The Purpose Driven Life."  You may be familiar with it.  It became so popular because people want to know that their life counts.  As a believer in Jesus, I have settled that question long ago.  My purpose was spelled out for me in Ephesians 1 (and many other passages in the Scriptures).  God created me to live for the praise of His glory.  He chose me in Him to be holy and blameless in His sight and predestined me to be adopted as His child to the praise of His glorious grace.  Three times in one sentence the Apostle Paul reminds believers what their purpose is... that you and I might be for the praise of His glory.  Perhaps none more clear than verses 11 and 12...

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
-Ephesians 1:11-12

My purpose is to live for the Glory of God.  This is the great accomplishment that I have been created and recreated to do.  I think we get stuck thinking that we have to accomplish some great feat for God in this life and find ourselves searching and searching for what that might be, when the whole time it has been right before our eyes... that we might be for the praise of His glory.  This has actually been a revelation in my own heart that helps me to fight back the temptation of thinking I am not performing well enough in the things I "do" for God.  I can rest knowing that my purpose is to be for the praise of His glory.  This means I have purpose as a husband, father, grandfather, friend, pastor, co-worker,  neighbor, and whatever other relationship you want to throw in.  My purpose as a husband is to be for the praise of His glory in how I treat my wife and display to her the love for which both of us were redeemed.  My purpose as a father is not to earn my kids favor but to parent in a way that brings praise toward my glorious Creator.  My purpose as a pastor is not to be the best preacher, teacher, or leader, but to be for the praise of His glory.  I can do those other things without ever being for the praise of His glory; however, if I am for the  praise of His glory, those other things just take care of themselves.  I do not walk around confused about my purpose.  I can lean into the purpose for which I exist with every breath I take.  However, there are certainly too many times that I get distracted from my purpose and seek to please myself.  O, that I would be so captured by my real purpose that I seek to please myself less and less and seek to be for the praise of His glory more and more.

What about you?  Did you realize that this is your purpose as well?  How much do you stop to consider that you are to be for the praise of His glory?  It will set you free and be a source of joy in your life.  Will you pursue this purpose with me?  Lord, today we want to be to the praise of Your glory!  Help us!

Comments

Willow said…
Thanks for your reminder that brings peace but makes me pause to see how I might glorify the Lord today :) Prayers that the Spirit reminds you of this truth often as well! Thanks for sharing your heart!
March 15, 2021 at 11:14 AM
Unknown said…
My intentions are to dye daily toward selfishness, but often find myself again heeding to it.Thank you for the great reminder. Great sermon yesterday and a great reminder today.
March 15, 2021 at 11:29 AM
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