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Apostle Paul, in Philippians 3:12-14, looked back at his life's journey and said that he was not counting on past accomplishments. Instead, he kept pressing toward the mark ahead of him. This should be our pursuit too—something ahead that we cannot yet see. Even when we have reached a certain age or milestone, and we can say that God has helped us to this point, that does not mean we have finished everything. There is always more ahead.
Our lesson today has two main outlines: first, discover your purpose in life—how to discover it—and second, live to fulfill it. There are processes and steps in discovering our purpose, and we must understand them clearly.
When we ask someone, "What is your purpose as a person, as a living being?" the answer is all-encompassing. We grow up to become parents, we settle down in homes, we build relationships. All of these junctions of life—our opportunities, privileges, education, skills, and talents—point toward fulfilling our purpose on Earth. Purpose is not just one thing; it has many angles to it.
First, look at potential—what you are naturally inclined toward, what comes easily to you. This is innate, inborn within us.
Some people feel comfortable in the midst of other people. They can hold dialogue and discussion for long periods without losing track. That is a kind of potential pointing toward purpose.
Potential also includes our talents. Some people are gifted in sports; others excel in mathematics and arithmetic. Some struggle with calculation, but when it comes to teaching people and imparting knowledge, that is where they shine. Your area of strength reveals your potential.
All the skills and knowledge you gain through education help shape and sharpen your potential, making you a better person toward fulfilling your purpose.
Second, discover your purpose through passion—what are you passionate about? What is it that you can do for many hours without getting tired?
Some people are passionate about organization. Others are naturally hospitable. When a visitor comes, they ensure the guest is welcomed and comfortable. Some people, by their nature, struggle with hospitality—they may even hide—but that is simply not their nature.
When we talk about passion, we are asking: What do you have an exceptional flare for? Look at Colossians 4:12-13, which speaks of Epaphras:
"Epas, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you and those who are in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis."
Epaphras was passionate about prayer. He was praying for the brethren in another region, another location. No one was watching him; he was doing it out of passion. He was not praying for others to see him—he was genuinely passionate about interceding for other believers.
All of us can pray. Prayer can be our purpose. What is it that you do without worry, that you are at home doing? Some might be cooking; others might be driving. They are comfortable and do not get tired. All these point to discovering your purpose.
Third, prayer is essential in discovering your purpose. You might have potential; you might have talent. You might see that you are passionate about something. But why do we need to pray?
Consider Acts 9:1-2, which describes Saul (Paul) before his conversion:
"Now Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the way, he could arrest them and bring them bound to Jerusalem."
Saul was a talented man. He was gifted. He had been educated under the best professors and attended the best university on Earth. He had passion and drive. But he was using all his seal and empowerment against God, his Maker. He was using it against the church. He even supervised the stoning to death of Stephen, and he was in charge of those persecuting the believers.
We need to pray so that the world and the devil do not use what we are passionate about, what we are talented in, in the wrong way.
Some people might be so talented in technology that they become experts in the darkest arts—stealing into people's systems, misusing their knowledge and skill for evil purposes. But that was not the reason God gave them that skill. The devil twisted their journey.
I pray that will never be our lot, and never the lot of our children, in the name of Jesus.
Even when your children say, "I want to be a medical doctor," or "I want to be a pilot," or "I want to be an aeronautic engineer," keep praying about it. Prayer ensures that your purpose is guided by God, not corrupted by the world.
First, we must ask God to reveal our purpose to us. He is our Maker. He formed us and knows what we will be, even from the beginning. When we were still in the womb, He knew us.
However, along the journey of life, if prayer is not prayed by parents and adults around us, everything can get twisted. This raises an important question: Is our purpose predestined by God, or is it something we choose as we grow up?
Looking at Jeremiah 1:4-5, we see:
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart."
Yes, God designs our purpose. The way God created us is the way it should be. God tells us, "This is what you should be. This is your purpose." But as human beings, we often struggle against this. We do not want to accept what God has designed for us. We struggle with our Maker because we do not want to be what He wants us to be. This struggle begins there and involves so many things.
Second, set achievable goals and pursue them. Look at Acts 20:24, where Paul testifies:
"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
When Paul was converted, those who knew him from the time of Jesus Christ and the apostles in Jerusalem were not welcoming him. They knew what he used to do—he was running after the church, persecuting it. Now he was preaching the same gospel. It was difficult for them to accept him.
But Paul made that statement: "All this does not bother me," because he remained focused. We need to set achievable goals ahead of us in fulfilling our purpose. Do not expect that everything will be achieved in one day. That may not be possible. Break your purpose into achievable, stepping-stone goals.
Third, identify and relate with people of like passion. Look at 2 Kings 2:1-2, which describes the relationship between Elisha and Elijah:
Elisha learned so much from Elijah. Even when Elijah was being taken away, Elisha said, "I will stay with you until you are taken. I will follow you to Jericho. I will follow you to this place." He was committed to learning from his mentor.
We need to identify and relate with people of like passion so that we can learn from their mistakes and build on their successes. We are not to repeat their mistakes, but to learn from them and build upon their success.
Fourth, consider Acts 18:24-26, which tells of Apollos, Aquila, and Priscilla:
"Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord and, being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately."
Apollos was a man of God. He had knowledge of the word and spoke very well. But he only knew about John's baptism; he did not know the complete gospel. Aquila and Priscilla, a married couple, mentored him and explained the way of God more accurately.
The lesson is: there is always room for us to learn and grow in fulfilling our purpose. We should never reach a state where we think, "I have been doing this for so many years; I know it all." God will always have more to teach us.
Fifth, live as if you have just one more day on Earth. Do not procrastinate in fulfilling your purpose. See it as something you must achieve today. You may not accomplish everything about your purpose in one day, but you must keep working on it.
Look at Luke 9:61-62:
"Another said, 'Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say goodbye to my family.' But Jesus told him, 'Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.'"
People offered genuine excuses to delay following Jesus. One said, "Please wait; let me go and tell my family at home that I want to follow you." Another said, "Let me go and bury my dead father, and then I will follow you." These are all forms of procrastination.
Purpose is predestined, something that originated even before we were born. As Jeremiah said, "Before I was born, God knew me." So purpose is not something like deciding on a new purpose for ourselves along the way. If we chase another purpose instead of God's purpose for us, we will struggle. At the end of the day, the joy that should follow all along—as we take step after another, moving toward fulfilling our God-given purpose—will not be there.
God will help us in the name of Jesus.
Sixth, focus your attention on doing all things to please God. Everything you do should be directed toward honoring Him.
Seventh, always return all the glory to God. Do not ascribe anything to yourself. This is very important.
In fulfilling our purpose, some people's purposes may be impactful for generations. Others' purposes may be impactful for their families alone. Some purposes are global in impact. But in it all, we should not ascribe any glory to ourselves. It is not us; it is God.
Fulfilling purpose is like having a power, a Spirit, just pushing us toward getting there. It is like someone lifting you up and pushing you forward. You do not struggle alone. Before you attain things, before you achieve things, there is a power, a Spirit, working those things out before your bed.
We have talked about the essence of prayer in discovering and fulfilling purpose. We should not take things for granted, thinking, "I have a purpose; I have a destiny. Automatically, I will walk into it and fulfill it. I will just discover it." No, it does not work that way. God will help us in the name of Jesus.
So many people live and die without making any meaningful impact. Be different. Fulfill your purpose for creation. Tell yourself: "I am not a nobody."
It is just a matter of time. You have a pursuit in life. Life is like moving from one level to another. You do not rest or sleep there; you keep pursuing something else, all toward fulfilling your purpose. That is it.
As you go forward—whether as a husband, a wife, a parent, a worker, or in any career—you have a purpose to fulfill in all those areas of responsibility. Your purpose is not just one thing; it has many angles to it, and God will help you in every aspect where you need His enablement.
