Saturday, June 25th What Is My Purpose?

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.  2 Timothy 4:6

Perceiving that the end was near, Paul reflected on the purpose of his life. He talked about his days on earth as an offering to God. How different this is from our view of life. Paul thought of his entire life as time to be used by and for God. He was not living for self, but rather felt that his time and efforts were to be used for a higher purpose. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

This is foreign, almost offensive, to us. I am my own man and am free to do as I please! The bible teaches quite the opposite. The bible teaches that real freedom from our flesh nature, from the world, is only found in voluntary surrender to God’s will. We are not just saved from something, but are saved for something. We are not our own and our life is not to be spent in pursuit of self.

We often pursue God as a means to an end. I am miserable in my addiction, so I see God as a tool to get sober. I want my life to be less painful, so I ask God to help me. God however, saved me not for myself but for himself. Our misery drives us to God, and God certainly wants us to be free from self-inflicted destruction, but He wants us to pursue him, not just comfort. I am not the purpose of my life. I am not at the center of the world. My pursuit of God and his will should be the purpose of my life.

What does that mean practically? What does that look like? It means that I will daily choose to pursue my relationship with God. If I actually believe that He is at the center of the universe, then it should necessarily and drastically affect how I live. This will impact how I talk, how I use my time and how I spend my money. I need to ask everyday what I am living for. Am I living for self, or am I like Paul, living for a much higher purpose?