Sunday morning I sat next to my husband in “our”
seats at Real Life Church anticipating another powerful and relevant sermon by
Pastor Steve Murray. While my husband propped his Bible open, I sat with hands
in my lap, waiting to soak in the message. But that day was different. I was
suddenly scrambling for paper and pen to take notes.
You may have heard others explain that our purpose
on earth is to love and serve God. Yeah … okay. That’s true, but I don’t
believe it’s that simple. I’ve loved and strived to serve God since I was a
young child. Yet I ached inside for years, wanting to make a difference,
wanting to find my purpose, yearning to figure it out.
One thing I’ve learned is that our purpose can
change, depending on the seasons of our lives. Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on
the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I
am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the
wasteland” (NIV).
“Sometimes God wants to shift our purpose or evolve
our purpose or move our purpose forward or give us new purpose and we can’t see
it.
“Some of us can’t see that the things in our lives,
the common everyday gifts and talents, the experiences we’ve had, the advancements
and opportunities we’ve had in life and the setbacks and the tragedies and
loses that we’ve experienced in life—all of it works together to form a purpose
in your life. And that purpose is being formed by God even when it looks like
you have no purpose. Even when you feel like you’ve lost purpose or lost
direction, He will make the path straight. He will bring water into wastelands.
He will bring something out of his heart and his love for you that will
replenish or refresh you.” ~ Pastor
Steve Murray
Wow! That’s exciting! Doesn’t that give
you hope?
With his permission, the following is also taken from Pastor Steve’s message.
Purpose
1. Uses
talents and skills
You’ll be fulfilled when you use
your own and not trying to be someone else. Don’t compare yourself to others.
2. Is
seasonal
Don’t move into a new season and
try to keep the same purpose. You’ll miss out on what God has for you today.
3. Uses
your story
Don’t hide it. Use your story, even
the hard times. We hide because our story is embarrassing or painful. Don’t
preach while still wounded. Tell your story after you’re healed.
4. Uses
passions and callings
Be aware of the things that get you
excited to get up in the morning.
Benefits
of Purpose
1. Gives
life meaning and fulfillment
This is pretty self-explanatory. Who doesn't want to feel fulfilled?
This is pretty self-explanatory. Who doesn't want to feel fulfilled?
2. Contributes
back and redeems your time
It’s okay to spend time doing
things you personally enjoy, but don’t spend all of your time on things that don’t benefit anyone else.
3. Changes
the world
Purpose is constructive. It helps
to make something better.
To Find Purpose
1. Look
straight ahead
What’s right in front of you? Don’t
always look for the next big thing. Maybe you don’t have what you want. But
what if you were to look at what you have and allow God to use it for your
community? For your world?”
2. Allow
the Lord to work it out
Trust in his timing and
methods.
3. Seek
till you find
Don’t give up!
The points he shared make sense. How have they applied to you in the past? How do they fit into your life right now? In the coming weeks, I’ll share some of my own thoughts and personal experiences—and I hope you join in conversation here and share
yours too!
In the meantime, if you’d like to hear Pastor Steve's entire message on finding your purpose, you can listen
to it here: Your Purpose
Dawn
About
Pastor Steve Murray …
To learn more about RLC or contact
Pastor Steve:
Email: steve@reallifechurch.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/smurr
No comments:
Post a Comment