Regarding our purpose, Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
We know that the purpose of Jesus was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). And Paul’s purpose was to defend the gospel (Philippians 1:16). Do you know what your purpose is?
For me, because I had an inner feeling that I wanted to make my life count for something, I felt that my purpose was something more than merely consuming resources. In searching for my purpose, I reasoned that it may somehow be tied to my talents and passions. Therefore, I wrote down a couple of my talents and passions. Next, I dug into God’s Word and began to pray for wisdom (James 1:5) and to ask God for his help.
During my search, I read that God’s Word tells us “…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). So I asked myself what is the work of the Lord? I learned that the work of the Lord is to live a lifestyle that pleases him together with a lifestyle that loves and serves others. Also, the work of the Lord involves sharing the gospel message by the way that we live. In addition, it involves sharing the gospel message verbally or in written form when appropriate (1 Thessalonians 2:8). In order to always “abound in his work”, I discovered five ways to do that, and I list and discuss them at pages 25-30 in my book.
Furthermore, I found four verses that tell us what the Lord requires us to do. The Lord requires us “…to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I command you this day for your good” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). And he requires us “…to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8); and “…to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
Next, I found a verse that specifically tells us our purpose—why God created us. In Ephesians 2:10, God’s Word says he created us to do good works which means to love and serve him and others. Then I read a verse that tells us how God equips us to do good works. And he equips us to do good works by giving everyone at least one gift to love and serve him and others (1 Peter 4:10).
In order to do good works to love and serve God and others, do you know what your gift or gifts are? If not, read Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11,12 where God’s Word lists some gifts. In addition, God gives us a spiritual gift that is a talent or an ability empowered by the Holy Spirit to love and serve one another, and God’s Word lists them in 1 Corinthians 12: 7-10, 27-31.
After you read these verses and identify your gift or gifts, start using them to fulfill your purpose to do good works. For example, every morning after you wake up, ask God to reveal one thing that you can do today to love and serve him more and to love and serve others more. Also during the week, commit to encourage just one person or commit to make life easier for just one person. Finally, remember to ask the Holy Spirit to give you power every day to use your gift or gifts to love and serve God and others.