Redefining Purpose

My whole life I have been wanting it, searching for it, asking for it. I expected it as a birthright, after all was I not told that God had a great purpose for me? Didn't God Himself say the same? Whatever it was it would propel me towards something great. What was I to do with my life? What great thing did He create me for?

I was always envious of those who knew exactly what they wanted to do with their lives. Whether they were successful or not, they knew. This was their life and pupose. Whenever someone asked me what I wanted to do, I floundered. I did not know. Well, but what are you passionate about, what interests you? Again, I floundered, because the answers to those questions gave me no insight into what I should be doing. I didn't know how to take what I was passionate about and turn it into something I could do, something of purpose. Frustration, Confusion, Discouragement! And I would beg God, please, just tell me what you want me to do! Just tell me and I will do it. I just want to know what my purpose is.

But lately a paradigm shift is taking place. I've been asking God this same question my entire life. Thirty-two years now, don't you know God that a third of my life is now past and only two-thirds remains? One-third wasted searching for purpose with no answers. But lately, a truth is being revealed to me. Purpose is not necessarily about what I do, but about who I am , who I can become. Being not doing. Presence not performance. I catch these glimpses of truth in the line of a song, "I was made for loving You", in a truth in the Word, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God." "Love your neighbor as yourself." "Forgive as you have been forgiven." "Visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength." Isn't that enough? It's so simple and only requires love. If this is my sole purpose, isn't this more than enough?

I was distracted and allowed myself to belief that purpose revolved around what I do. That is the first question we ask each other upon meeting a stranger. What do you do? Why do we put so much value on our own accomplishments? The implication is that we are not valuable if we are not doing. We learn to equate career with purpose. Find something you love to do and do it. There is nothing wrong with that advice except that we have twisted it's meaning a bit. Purpose has become selfish. It has become about our efforts, energy and accomplishments. Look at what I have done, look at what I have earned. If there is one thing I have learned about God is that He is not so much concerned with our actions as He is concerned with the motivation of our hearts. We can do the right thing for the wrong reasons and it becomes meaningless. "...if I have not love I have become sounding brass or a clanging symbol, if I have not love I am nothing, if I have not love it profits me nothing." God doesn't need us to get things done. He is all powerful. But He is gracious enough to allow us to partner with Him to be part of the process. He is not after what we can do, but He is after our hearts.

However if my purpose is not about what I can do, but about who I am, who I allow God to help me become, then it is not about me. It is about Him. His purpose becomes my purpose. The burden of greatness and purpose no longer rests on my shoulders. I no longer have to ask and wait for a purpose to do, but I can go about living out a purpose of being. Daily life, simple purpose. Love God, love man. Isn't that more important then anything we can do? His purpose becomes mine, and isn't His purpose the greatest of all?

Psalm 20:4 "May He grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your purpose."
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."