Purpose and Destiny
Each time I do something extraordinary, as part of my faith, I feel a real sense of purpose and destiny
Reference: For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35 TNIV)
Explore: There have been periods of my life where I have specifically put aside time for God. I’m not just talking about dedicating time each day for prayer or setting aside a number of days for meditation, I’m talking about large chunks of time.
These dedicated weeks have come in all different forms. Some have involved mission trips (both local and overseas), some have been applying myself at an intensive Christian conference, while some periods of time have spanned over years as we’ve taken foster children into our home.
Each time I do something extraordinary, as part of my faith, I feel a real sense of purpose and destiny. That’s not to say that everything goes smoothly. No, usually there are many complications and challenges that arise.
However, when I am working towards a bigger goal than just fulfilling my own gratification, there is a deeper desire that is being fed.
No matter what the end result, I find that when I put time aside for God, He gives me a greater sense of who I am and who He is in my life.
Application: When the disciples realised that they were following the true Messiah, I wonder what went through their heads. Did they feel a greater sense of pride, did they get a bit too full of themselves as they knew they were on the winning side, did they think they were in for an easy ride?
No matter what they thought, the Messiah quickly brought them back to reality. Following Him would mean giving up all they had and giving it to the cause of declaring the Good News.
When you write it on paper, and even recite Mark 8:35, it can sound very glamorous. However, it often means sacrifice, ridicule, missing out, giving over, tiredness, dedication, early mornings, no budget…
The road to glory does not always look golden, but when you are out there pounding God’s pavement you can be assured that you will receive a sense of purpose and destiny like no other. And when you look back and reflect on your journey it will show you how much closer you have come to reflecting your Saviour.
Prayer: Lord, Your work does not always look glamorous on the surface, but help us to look for spiritual radiance in the work that we do. Amen.
What Godly task is before you?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.