Photo by Johnny Cohen on Unsplash
For quite some time I wrestled with understanding why I am here on this Earth. What was I created for? What would happen if I disappeared or better yet if I never existed? Yes, some of these thoughts were certainly a result of devastation and a desire to commit suicide, but even in the midst of this line of thinking the journey to discover purpose called to the depths of my soul.
I started with my vocation and began to create paths that were more aligned with my gifts and passions. This seemed to help but didn’t give me the clarity that my spirit was looking and longing for. Then, I thought I would stop everything that I was currently moving toward and become a writer. What would I write? I certainly have a story, but am I ready to tell it? Am I strong enough to lay myself bare in the afflictions and sins of my past, present, and probable future?... Nah, I am not ready for that yet.
So, I put my explorative thoughts on pause and just kept going with work and all the things I know to do from day to day. Resolving myself to longing without seeking as it related to my God-given purpose.
Then, one morning last week I was reading the first few chapters in Genesis during my umpteenth attempt to read through the whole Bible, and the answer came to me with such clarity I wasn’t sure it could be that simple. I am still not sure it can be as simple as I have discovered it to be.
Our God-given purpose as creations of God is to be in a relationship with Him. That is the long and short of it! It’s not really deep, is it?!
Most of the time when I heard people talk about their purpose it was always something manifested, prophesied, and drenched in anointing oil. I am not saying that’s wrong, but I have come to discover that the foundation of every human being’s purpose is to have a relationship with The Most High God, our Heavenly Father.
So, I asked myself: If it is so simple, why is it so hard?
I have come to discover that everything about the world and society we live in is a distraction from the foundational purpose of mankind: to be in a relationship with God. Jesus even echoes this in His teaching of the first and greatest command: “to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Matthew 22:36-37 ESV) Even our vocations, passions, and activated gifts sometimes take us away from this very purpose.
So, I asked myself another question: How do I love the Lord?
The Bible tells me that if I love Him, I will keep His commandments (John 14:15), which circles me back to Matthew 22:36 and moving onto God’s second greatest command: to love my neighbor as myself (Matthew 22:39). Then, in the next verse (40) Jesus illuminates these verses as the entirety of what my obedience to God looks like. IT LOOKS LIKE LOVE. It looks like me loving God, loving myself, and loving His people as a circle that never ends. Further reflecting God’s infinity. WOAH!
This blew my mind! You may be reading this and saying to yourself: Yeah, duh! But for someone like me who likes deep complex concepts, this is big! GOD JUST WANTS TO BE WITH ME! Like what!!??! The maker of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, the everlasting King tells me that my purpose for being is to be with Him.
Okay, okay, now bear with me because there is more. In church yesterday, the pastor was talking about Saul and how he had encountered God but did not live the kind of devoted life that he could have lived. The pastor said: “Saul would live a life of spiritual experiences but not [of] a true and living faith that obeys the Lord.”
So, this got me thinking: Do I pursue my purpose in God, to be in a relationship with Him or do I have spiritual experiences that are inevitable because of God’s love for me?
God is so intentional with us. He is so careful and deliberate in His pursuits, promises, and purpose in our lives. Do we have intentions for God?
I must confess that this revelation broke my heart because I realize that I have lived a life of some wonderful spiritual experiences with God, but the relationship with Him through obedience that comes from consistent (not perfect), faithful pursuit of Him for Him (not for a pastor, status, or otherwise) I have been missing out on. However, I am delighted because there is still breath in my body, and I get to pursue a relationship with God where I seek Him out. This delightful excitement won’t be easy because I have given myself so much power in my life that I must now work on my surrender so that the true miracle of salvation can have its way in my life.
What about you? Are you ready to experience the miracle of salvation as you surrender to God your will for His? Can you find intention for your Heavenly Father?
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)
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