The value I am covering this month is

                                          Purpose

  “ We believe that every one of every class, creed and colour has a God given purpose and destiny in life”

This statement really reflects the central core of all we believe and do at Living Word. Today’s society and world events can easily leave one feeling that life is cheap and unimportant. We read in the newspapers and see on TV with increasing resignation of murders, divorce, catastrophes, beatings, muggings etc etc where there seems to be no care over lives lost as if they do not matter. This is coupled with the feeling that we are all on our own and have to handle our lot in life like some kind of fate that we are born with and have to endure.

Yet this humanistic and often atheistic view could not be further from the truth when you look at it from God’s perspective. There is a wonderful passage in Psalm 139 where David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reflects on his life and how he was put together by God carefully and skilfully. He also shows how God planned and purposed his life before he was born. I suggest you read the whole Psalm to get the fulness of it.

Further 2 Timothy 1:9 explains that we were saved and called
“according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began”

Ephesians 1:4 tells us that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.

Now much of the world may not be aware of the purpose of God in their life but His plans have never changed

Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”

The problem is that many will look at their life and feel like a failure. So often we are aware of our mistakes and think that we just have to face up to and live with the hole that we have gotten ourselves into. Nothing can change and nobody really cares about me.

In the midst of all that I want to share with you one of my favourite sayings.

“ Yes, we all have a past. You cant change your past but you can change your future”

It may be that some of you are reading this article for the first time having stumbled across it on the website and you do not know Jesus as your personal saviour. In which case the first and most important thing you can ever do to change your future is to accept Jesus into your heart as your personal saviour. God’s purpose for your life may have been on hold but in Christ he has done everything to put you back on course to finish your purpose in Him.

Don’t hold back for one minute. Let Him in. He has a powerful future for you.

If you have made that step and you are a believer even if it was some time ago. You may still be wondering what the future holds for you and what it is that God planned for you.

Well, sometimes we can get caught up in the feeling that the greatest purpose in life must be somehow working for God in the ministry full time because of what the word of God says. That could not be further from the truth and we easily confuse God’s purpose with some noble spiritual ideal.

His purpose in your life could be to be a great mother or father to your children and steer your family through the changes in life that inevitably come. We cast that thought aside so easily because we always feel there must be some greater thing for us to do. However God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher and different to ours. We can never know how our simple contribution could change the world.

I often use an example when I teach on helps ministry to churches and at conferences. It is the story of a lowly usher who during a crusade helped a young man to find a seat in a crowded service. Later that man heard the message and received Jesus. It just so happened that his name was Billy Graham. I ask my audience who got that man saved? Was it the preacher or that usher? The truth is it was God using an opportunity because individuals were prepared to enter into fulfilling their own purpose for their lives.

The same can be true for you. You do have an awesome purpose for your life and God wants to show you what it is.
Let me suggest that you begin to seek after the Holy Spirit and allow Him to reveal to you your calling and purpose in life. Remember we discussed some of that in my last article when I talked about presence and yielding to the Holy Spirit.

In the meantime why not just get stuck in and do something, in particular in your local church. That is a great place to find out the gifts and talents that He has placed in you. Don’t wait for a bolt from the sky or a prophecy or a word from the Lord. Trust Him to show you and direct you as you go. Believe that His purpose for your life will be revealed to you as you do.

Remember Hebrews 12:2 “ looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”

He started it and He knows how to work with you to finish it.