Have you ever thought or even said out loud, “Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?” Many of us have—it’s a natural, normal response. Each of us wants to feel we have purpose—we want to know that we are accomplishing something and making a difference in the world around us.
Well, you and I can be encouraged to know that God does have a purpose for each of our lives. If He didn’t, He would take us to heaven to be with Him right after we are born again. But since there is a reason for our existence beyond our salvation, He fills us with His Spirit and positions us here on earth as His representatives.
Our purpose, then, from everything that I have found in Scripture, is to do right and glorify God. When we do right, we bring God glory—we manifest His excellence in a tangible way. Then, when others see it, they want God in their lives too. I believe as we pursue this purpose in life, we will find true contentment, fulfillment, and all our needs met.
One of the first things I want to make clear is that our purpose in life is not the same as the call on our lives—there is a difference. Our call is the specific job that God has given us to do, but our purpose is the reason we are here. God calls and equips people to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, homemakers, administrators, ministers, and many other types of workers. I am called to be a preacher and my husband, Dave, is called to be an administrator. But our purpose is to do right and glorify God. Although the call on our lives differs from person to person, our purpose remains the same.
How do we pursue our purpose? By getting up each day and putting God first. There are many things in life that you and I can chase after—job positions, education, relationships, money, material possessions, and so on. But chasing after things will never bring fulfillment. Even if we get them, they will not provide the true satisfaction we are craving. I know a number of people who spent the majority of their lives climbing what they thought was the ladder of success. But when they finally reached the top, they found out that their lives were just as empty and unfulfilled as when they began.
God knows what we need and is well aware of our heart’s desires. He will grant them if we will just put Him first. Matthew 6:33 says, But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. What is His kingdom? According to Romans 14:17, For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (KJV). In other words, the kingdom of God is not about getting a bunch of stuff; it’s about knowing that we have been made right with God through Jesus Christ. And in that righteous state, we are able to live right and experience His unshakable peace and abundant joy—regardless of our circumstances or what we possess.
Once we have purposed in our heart to put God first, we need to slow down and take things one day at a time, Jesus said, So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:34). You see God doesn’t want us spending our day worrying about tomorrow—trying to figure out all the details of life. He wants us to spend each day striving to live right and bringing Him glory, allowing Him to take care of the rest.
I believe it is absolutely essential that we learn to abandon ourselves to God’s care and enjoy where we’re at on the way to where we’re going. This is one of the most rewarding things God has taught me. Years ago I thought that everything would be wonderful if...I didn’t have to work, if we had more money, if we had a bigger house, if we owned our own house, if we had two cars, if...if...if. But when these desires were fulfilled and I still wasn’t happy, I realized the problem was something else. So I asked God what was wrong, and He began to show me that I was a shallow, carnal Christian. I was living in the superficial, fleshly realm of what I wanted, thought, and felt. I was expecting God to give me everything I desired, keep me happy all the time, and always explain to me everything that was going on in my life.
The Lord led me to Luke 5—the story of Peter and his companions returning from an unsuccessful fishing trip. After Jesus had finished speaking to the crowds that had gathered by the shore, ...He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul (5:4). Well, this got my attention, because I was looking for a haul of blessings in my life. I had Christian tapes, T-shirts, books, bumper stickers, a Jesus pin, and could talk “Christianese.” But I was missing out on the abundant life.
After Jesus told Peter to put out into the deep, Peter said, ...Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again] (Luke 5:5). Look what happened in verses six and seven: And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [at the point of] breaking, they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
Finally, I was beginning to understand. If Peter had been living by his feelings, he would not have gone back to fish because he and his men were exhausted. Instead, he chose to live by the word of the Lord. The result of his obedience was an abundant blessing of fish—so much so that they couldn’t contain it.
God showed me that the same thing holds true for us. If we want a haul of blessings in our lives, then we need to live on a level deeper than what we want, think, and feel. We need to live according to the Word of God and do what it says—whether we feel like it, understand it, want to, or think it’s a good idea or not. We need to be doers of the Word and not hearers only (see James 1:22).
Walking in obedience to God’s Word demonstrates our love for Him and puts us in a position to experience the deeper, more abundant life that Jesus died to give us (see John 14:15; Joshua 1:8). This reminds me of a powerful portion of Scripture in Deuteronomy 28. here we find Moses talking to the Israelites just before they entered the Promise Land. After reminding them of all they had been through since they left Egypt, Moses told the people exactly what they needed to do in order to walk in the radical blessings of God: If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God (28:1,2).
Moses went on to say that if they would follow God’s commandments, they would be blessed in every way—in the city and in the field, in their basket and in their kneading trough, in their offspring and in the offspring of their beasts, and so on. But if they did not heed the voice of the Lord and follow His commandments, then their lives would be cursed and filled with sorrow.
This same choice that God made available to Israel years ago is available to you and me today: Jesus said, And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great and complete was the fall of it (Matthew 7:26,27). But He said, Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it! (Luke 11:28).
So if you and I want to be blessed and fulfill our purpose, we must make it our aim to know and obey God’s commandments—we must pursue a consecrated life of holiness (see Hebrews 12:14). Does this mean we have to be perfect? No. It just means that we are pressing toward the mark of perfection—with all our might, we are cooperating with the Holy Spirit and trying to do what is right. When we make mistakes, we cry out to God to forgive us; we then receive His forgiveness and His grace to grow and do better next time. With this right heart, we improve and become more Christ-like with each passing day.
I have been diligently serving the Lord for the past twenty-six years, and just like everyone else, there are times when I make mistakes and fall short of God’s glory. But I don’t stay there; when I feel the Holy Spirit convicting me that I’ve done something wrong, I ask God to forgive me and bring about change in that area of my life. That’s all He requires—a repentant heart and a willingness to change. I believe this is one way we depart from evil and do good... (Psalm 34:14).
I believe that on of the best ways to defeat the devil is by living right. Romans 12:21 says that we overcome evil by doing good. You and I will experience a richer, more meaningful life if we will simply make a decision to do what is right in every situation that comes along—whether big or small.
For example, Dave and I were driving somewhere one day, and I realized that I had forgotten to put on my seatbelt. My first thought was, Oh, don’t worry about it; you’re going to be there in a minute. But then I thought, No, the right thing to do is to put it on. So that’s what I did. Now this may seem trivial, but I believe there is a principle here that God wants to learn: we bring Him glory and put ourselves in a position to be blessed every time we choose to do what’s right—even in the seemingly insignificant things. If we will be faithful in little, God will make us ruler over much.
Another way we can bring God glory is in the way we treat people. One day while I was preparing a message on walking in love, the Lord gave me a list of some practical things that we can do to be a blessing to others. For starters, we can edify and exhort them. On purpose, we can say things to build them up like, “You’re important...You look nice...I’m glad you’re here. You’re a blessing!” We can also express our appreciation and acknowledge people by giving them a pat on the back, writing them a quick note of encouragement, or giving credit to those who help us behind the scenes. Other ways to be a blessing include believing the best in others, offering forgiveness to those who have offended us, taking time to listen to people, and lending a helping hand when others need it. If we strive to treat everybody we come in contact with like royalty, we will be blessed in the same way. As the Bible says, ...whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7 KJV).
I believe these are good examples of what God wants each of us to do. We need to start thinking in terms of doing what’s right and make the decision to be committed to it—regardless of who is watching or if there is any benefit to us. James 4:17 says, So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin. You and I need to do what’s right because it’s right—that’s what God wants, and that’s what will bring Him glory and bring us blessings.
So what are you seeking and pursuing? What are you craving? Don’t spend your life chasing after things that have no ability to make you happy. It doesn’t matter what you have—if you don’t know who you are in Christ and are lacking peace and joy, then you have totally missed the boat.
I encourage you to stop living on the lower level of the flesh—what you want, think and feel. Untie your boat from the dock and let the wind of the Holy Spirit take you out into the deeper waters of life. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make the right choices—they’ll bring God glory and be a blessing to you forever. There you will experience true satisfaction and fulfillment and come away with a haul of blessings so big you’ll be able to share it with those around you!
<Reproduced with permission of Life In The Word, Inc./Joyce Meyer Ministries, Fenton, MO 63026, U.S.A. Finding God’s Purpose for Your Life, Joyce Meyer, ©2002. Life In The Word, Inc.>