Purpose and Destiny
PURPOSE AND DESTINY
All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have told you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age
- Matthew 28:19-20
Rick Warren wrote a wonderful book titled “The Purpose Driven Life” which got a lot of people thinking about purpose and destiny. We all want purpose in our lives. We all want to feel that our lives are meaningful and significant, that we can make a difference. The truth is that very few people believe they are or can.
Dudley in “5 Pillars” points out that in our culture there are mixed signals on this topic. Some groups saythis world was formed by a random coming together of cosmic forces. If that is the case, and we are the result of a cosmic accident, there is certainly no purpose for us being here. Other groups say we can be whatever we want to be. If we set our mind to it, we can do anything we want to do. Now I find that a little hard to believe. If I am 5’9” 170 pounds and slow, I don’t care how much I want to be a pro football player, it ain’t gonna happen. So, for there to be purpose in our lives, for there to be a destiny for us to embrace, we first must believe we were created by a loving, purposeful God. Once we believe in the Creator God and His plan and desire in creation, then we can explore God’s will and purpose for all believers in general and his specific plan for me. The truth is we were created by a sovereign and purposeful God to live at this time in history, to reflect His image in the world around us, and to live forever as His sons and daughters.
In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus says, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore (there is a job for you to do) and make disciples, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have told you (do what I did, say what I say, reflect my image) and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age (you are my sons and daughters forever).
I remember a number of years ago a friend of mine was struggling with a decision in his life and he asked me to pray for him. As I prayed, “Lord please show him the way” the words that came to my mind were, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) That was a huge revelation for me and as I shared it with my friend, a huge revelation for him. Even though each of us has a unique role and part to play in history, which we will talk about later, our common purpose is to reflect the image of Jesus to those around us. That inscription on the wall in the chapel of my military school I mentioned in chapter 1 was from the Catechism written in the 1600s to educate children in the Reformed Faith. It says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” It is the chief end for all people. He IS the way. He IS the truth. He IS the life. As we fall more and more in love with Jesus and walk with Him every day through life’s fun and pain and heartaches and challenges, we begin to say the things He says, believe the things He believes, and do the things He does. We find ourselves loving and forgiving and encouraging and not judging. Then we are starting to reflect His image. Remember when Jesus told Thomas, “If you have known me you have known my Father” (John 14:7)? I believe God’s desire is that we reflect the image of Jesus to the degree that it is almost impossible for someone to know us very well without, at some point in time, knowing our Father.
In John 17:4 Jesus was talking to the Father and He said, “I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do…..I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.”
Just like the Father gave Jesus specific people to spend His life with, He has put each of us in a network of people that our lives touch. Their place in your life is not accidental. Our families and close friends. The people at work. The irritating grocery clerk. The bank teller. The guys in the poker game. The golf group. The garden club. Your Sunday school class. Your hunting buddies. God’s word for you, His purpose for you, is to reflect the image of Jesus to these people He has given you, at this place, at this time.
Battles, trials and temptations are part of the journey and are often the most visible stage to reflect the image of Jesus. Don’t shrink back during these times. They are no fun but are always a prime opportunity to show love and forgiveness and courage and grace and mercy and faith. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
In Judges 3:2 God chose not to drive out the enemies of Israel so those living would know war and could teach war to those generations who had not known it before. Experiencing battle and choosing to reflect Christ in the midst of it is essential to living a life that makes a difference. There are times that hardships and trials and battles come at us from all directions. To reflect Christ, we must persevere with love and patience and grace. Remember we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Romans 8:37). Battles are where hearts of warriors are forever knit together, where real brothers are made, and where character isrevealed.
Believe it or not, these battles and heartaches do not last forever. 1 Peter 5:10 says, “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.”
The divine purpose of reflecting the image of Jesus applies to all believers, but God is so uniquely interested in each of us that He has a specific plan for how you and I can best reflect the image of His son. He made us all very different. He designed us in our mother’s womb. He knows how many hairs are on our head. He gave us each different gifts and talents and resources. He allowed us to get in and around different battles and temptations, so we have different challenges and opportunities. So, as you pray about specific opportunities or decisions or businesses or ministries or projects, here are some questions to consider:
1. Where are you right now? Your situation, your condition, your circumstances, or your pain might be the onething that gives you an open door, an opportunity to glorify God and change the lives of those around you for eternity.
2. What are your gifts, abilities, talents and resources? What comes easy for you? What is in your life that God seems to have his hand on? God didn’t give you these things to horde and use all on yourself. Enjoy them but use them for His glory.
3. What is in your heart? What do you like to do? What fires you up? What motivates you? What satisfies you?
Your situation and circumstances, good or bad, put you in a unique place to glorify God and change lives. Your position, gifts, abilities, talents, and resources are tools you have been given to accomplish the unique work you are designed to do. Some people will be on this earth a very short time and some will be shuffling around at 100. Both are just a vapor compared to the eternity we will all spend together forever. We have all seen or heard stories of how a few words spoken by a small child or a random act of kindness by one little old lady ultimately changed the lives of thousands. The truth is that stuff like that happens every day all over the world. Jesus said the least of us would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God and when the least of us reflect Jesus to the world around us, God causes miracles to happen.
So, the best way to discover your purpose and destiny is to just get on with life. You will find certain things come easily to you and certain things bring a lot of joy and excitement. It’s certainly not something to worry about. As you reflect Jesus to those around you, He will put opportunities and people in your path to make sure you experience your unique purpose and live your extraordinary destiny. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will put desires in your heart and will then fulfill those desires. He will guide your steps and direct your paths and enjoy life with you every step of the way.