Jesus always knew what He had to do because He understood His purpose. His purpose kept Him focused in the midst of the many distractions that came His way, protected Him, and provided for Him. The pressure of adverse circumstances and threats that He faced continually did not alter His destiny. One of the first things He did when He started His earthly ministry, was to declare His purpose:
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21
Like Him, we also find our job descriptions in the Scriptures, revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.
When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. Mark 1:37-39
When He came to the end of His life on earth, He once again declared His purpose:
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” John 12:27,28
It is also important for us to find our own purpose, as it will put us on the path that our Creator set before us, and keep us there. Once we understand our purpose and walk in it, we will enjoy God’s blessing and peace.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (=purpose), and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:22-24
The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path]. When he falls, he will not be hurled down, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand and sustains him. Psalm 37:22-24 ~ Amplified Bible
God never made random things; everything He made has purpose — there is a specific function that every little thing must fulfill.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
🎯 Purpose is:
- the reason for doing something
- an anticipated outcome that guides your planned actions
your anticipation of a destiny that provides your reason for doing something
God created every one of us with a purpose. Nobody came to the earth by mistake, or without a reason — we were known by God before the foundation of the earth. You came at the right time to the right place with the right equipment to do the will of God. God prepared some good works beforehand that you should walk in them!
For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. Ephesians 2:10 ~Amplified Bible
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:13-18
🎯 Consider some of the important questions about life:
- Who are you? (Think about your identity in Christ as a new creation — find some answers in Ephesians)
- Your spiritual heritage, with the understanding that old things have passed away and that all things have become new!
- Your individual purpose, the good works that God prepared beforehand for you to do
- You came equipped to do God’s will for you — your gifts and talents
- Also your potential: unspent power; unused abilities; hidden success; unfulfilled dreams, unwritten books, businesses not started, etc.
- Opportunities given to you
- What you must do to die empty, with no unfulfilled dreams or visions
- Where do you want to end in life?
- Where is this road that you are on taking you?
- Where will you be this time next year? (strategy)
- Your goal in life: what you want to accomplish with your life before you die
- What will your legacy be — by what will you be remembered after your death?
Read 1 Samuel 24:1-14
Let’s look at the life of king Saul as an example of someone who missed his purpose. Saul was chosen by God to be king; (1 Samuel 9:2) he had the special honor to be the first king of Israel and the tremendous opportunity to set a standard for all the kings that would follow after him. Saul had the unique opportunity to lay the foundation for the kingdom of Israel. He was the anointed of the Lord, chosen and exalted by God above everybody else in the nation. All the resources of Israel were at his disposal: the armies, the best warriors in the nation, the wealth, the loyalty of the people. God reserved a special place for him in the history of Israel, and equipped him well for the task.
As a king he ought to have occupied himself with the things that kings do, such as leading the nation, protecting it, guiding it, and taking care of the nation’s business. That was his calling and purpose. He was called to greatness and to fellowship with royalty, and his task was to lead the people of God into greatness, but he became distracted and lost that vision. After just one year as king he involved himself with things far below his station, and that had nothing to do with his calling. He began to disobey the Lord.
1 Samuel 13:9-13 describes how he trespassed God’s commands by offering illegitimate burnt offerings to the Lord, which he was not allowed to do.
In 1 Samuel 15:8,9 he spared the life of king Agag of the Amelekites and the livestock, contrary to the instructions of the Lord. He became so conceited that he even built a monument of himself.
In our text we find Saul returning from pursuing the Philistines when someone came and told him that they knew where David was. Saul made it his life’s goal to kill David because he was jealous of him, and he pursued him from the day that he killed Goliath. In his desire to find David, Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went after David. As it happened, David had an opportunity to kill Saul when he spent some time resting in a cave, but he only cut off a corner of his robe to prove that he had no intention to kill Saul. Then David spoke some sobering words to the king:
After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? 1 Samuel 24:14
The king of Israel, the commander of the armies of the Lord, the anointed one, lowered himself by chasing after dead dogs and fleas. How he missed his purpose! This is how tragic it is when you spend your life chasing dreams that do not please the Lord.
Saul reduced himself from a royal figure to chase after trivial things that didn’t matter. In the process he wasted the resources of the kingdom — three thousand select men — to chase an innocent man that meant no harm to him
King Saul’s life ended in defeat when he committed suicide by falling on his own sword, an embarrassment to his people and a disappointment to God. Instead of creating a lasting legacy to be proud of, history remembers him as a failure — a sad ending and a wasted life of someone who was born and equipped for greatness.
🎯 Every Christian’s general purpose
All Christians must pray, get to know the Scriptures, evangelize, encourage others, witness, etc. While all of us must be engaged in these activities, some are specifically called to some of them, such as prayer, for example. Others excel in exhortation, or something else that brings edification, comfort or salvation to others. Every believer has his/her own, specific purpose to which he/she is uniquely called and equipped for. Look at the examples below:
Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Luke 2:36,37
And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of 11Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:36,37
You will find some ministry lists in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:28, and Ephesians 4:11. These lists are not complete by any means, as modern life demands skills that suit modern requirements. There is a need for whatever talent or skill you have.
Take a good look inside of you, and consider the following questions:
- What can I do?
- How can I make a difference in someone’s life?
- What do I love to do?
- What are my gifts, talents, and skills, and how can I use them in service to others and the Lord?
🎯 Personal Inventory
Consider the questions below prayerfully. Take some time to make an inventory of your talents and gifts as they may provide some direction of how you can serve the Lord in a meaningful way. Putting your personal skills to work is a good place to start!
For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13
What did God put in my heart to do? ……………………….……………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
What are my skills, talents and gifts? (There may be some yet undiscovered gifts and talents)
What comes naturally to me?
How/when will I start doing those ‘good works’?
…Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Philippians 3:12
Paul had not attained his goal, neither was he perfect, but he pressed on to lay hold of “that” for which Christ Jesus laid hold of him.
What is “that” for which Christ Jesus laid hold of you?
