By Chris WittsTuesday 20 Dec 2022Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
Did you know you were planned for God’s pleasure? God wants you to know him and love him. Everything else is secondary to that. There is a word for expressing love to God: worship. Worship is expressing your love to God. And worship is living a life pleasing to God.
Worship is more than than nice, uplifting church music. Worship is everything you do that brings pleasure to God. Your whole life is to be a life of worship. You were formed for God’s family.
Just as worship brings God pleasure because he wants us to love him, fellowship with other believers brings God pleasure because we’re formed for God’s family.
Belongers—God’s Purposes for Your Life
One of the most misunderstood ideas about the Christian life is that it’s just a matter of believing. But God says, No, you’re not just ‘believers’; you’re ‘belongers’. You belong in the family of God. Did you know that the words ‘one another’ are used 58 times in the New Testament?
Love one another, care for one another, pray for one another, exhort one another, encourage one another, greet one another, and on and on and on. God wants you to care for other people. That’s called fellowship. Enjoying God’s family is called fellowship, and that’s the second purpose for your life.
Also, you were created to be like Jesus Christ. You were created to be like Jesus Christ, God’s Son. That’s called discipleship. God made you to transform you into a likeness of his son, Jesus Christ.
God is far more interested in what you are than in what you do. He’s far more interested in your being than in your doing.
A lot of people ask, “What is God’s will for my life in my job or my career?” You know what? You could probably have a dozen different careers, and God would say, That’s fine. God is more interested in your character, and I’ll tell you why: You’re not taking your career into eternity, but you are taking your character.
We are also shaped for service. The fourth purpose God created you for is this: You were shaped for service. God made you to serve him—and that’s called ministry. Every Christian is created to serve—the Bible makes it very clear that every Christian is a minister. Not every Christian is a pastor, but every Christian is a minister because to be Christ-like is to be a minister. You can’t be like Jesus Christ without serving others.
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 – NKJV)
What is ministry? Ministry happens any time you use the abilities God has given you to help someone else in Jesus’ name. The Bible teaches that God uniquely wired you in a certain way for a purpose. God gave you your abilities—not for your benefit but to bless other people.
And the fifth exciting point is this: you were put on this earth and made for a mission. The Apostle Paul was extremely passionate about this particular purpose. He says in Acts 20:24, “The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus Christ gave me.”
And what is that work? To tell people the good news about God’s grace. There’s a word for fulfilling my mission in the world: it’s called ‘evangelism’. Sharing the good news of Jesus with others.
You were made for a mission.
The Bible says that David served God’s purpose in his own generation. I can’t think of a better epitaph. That’s what I want for my life—that when I die people will say, He served God’s purpose in his generation.
What is the one thing God wants you to do with your life? What is most important to you? Most of us are deeply concerned with living meaningful, purposeful lives, yet we spend a lot of energy trying to figure out if we are.
Discovering Your Purpose in Life
In his classic book The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a poem that included the line, “Not all who wander are lost.” And that’s true—it applies to you. Even though you feel like you’re wandering without any true purpose, that doesn’t mean you’re lost. You can regain your sense of purpose and discover what God has for your life. Don’t despair.
Go to God in prayer. Again, let’s start with the obvious. If you feel purposeless, ask God to give you wisdom and direction. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” That’s incredibly good news. God wants to give you a purpose. He wants to bestow divine wisdom on you. It’s not like God is holding out on you to make you miserable. He desires you to have a joyful, ambitious, purposeful life. Ask God for purpose and expect him to give it to you.
Dig into God’s Word. The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible. This means that one of the first things you should do in your search for God’s purpose is to start digging into Scripture. Now, you won’t find any verses that tell you to become a dance instructor or painter, but you will begin to understand the heart of God. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s Word brings light to paths that otherwise seem dark. In the Bible you learn how to live wisely in God’s world, which is the first step toward finding your purpose.
Determine your gifts and strengths. God has given you very specific gifts and strengths. Maybe you’re a math whiz or a wise counsellor. Maybe you have a mind for electronics or business. Maybe you’re great at organising people and getting things done. God’s purpose for you probably involves the things you’re already good at. This is where education can be particularly valuable. Going to college or going back to college allows you to discover your gifts and then determine how you’re going to use them. It also connects you with people who want to help you find your purpose.
Determine your passions. What is one thing you’re particularly passionate about? Really, this can be anything: business, art, economics, alleviating poverty, whatever. If money wasn’t an issue, what would you love to do? Determining your passions often helps you figure out what God has called you to do. It’s often said that God works at the intersection of our gifts and our passions. Where do your gifts meet your passions? That may be God’s purpose for you.
Bring others into your life. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counsellors there is safety.” In other words, one of the main ways God will help you find your purpose is through others. Find people you trust and respect—those who want the best for you.
Take a solitude retreat. Sometimes it can be incredibly helpful to get away from it all and take some unhurried time to think, pray and write down your thoughts in a journal. You don’t have to spend a week in the woods for this to be effective. Even just a day away from the hustle and grind can be hugely rewarding.
During these retreats, allow yourself to simply be still. To ponder. To ask God for direction and listen for his voice. This doesn’t need to be complicated and doesn’t require any elaborate rituals. Hebrews 11:6 is a reminder that God always rewards those who seek him. He’s not hiding in the dark, trying to keep his will hidden from you. He wants to guide you. In the end, trust God each day. Believe he’s with you, guiding you each second. It’s not fairy-tale stuff.
Trying to discover your life purpose can be a stressful, overwhelming thing. It can seem like such a big, confusing, frustrating subject. You want to move forward, but you’re not sure how. You want to find your purpose, but you feel like you’re aimlessly wandering. But you can trust God to lead you where he wants you to go.
As Psalm 23:2-3 says, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” You may feel confused, but God doesn’t.