Because we’re
human, when we set out to find purpose in our lives, we may focus on doing
something that makes us feel good about ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with healthy self-esteem,
but if that’s our only goal, we risk missing what I believe is a vital
component to finding purpose. Love. The kind of unselfish love
that puts others’ needs ahead of our own comfort, gain, or acknowledgment.
Richard Sterns, President of World Vision U.S., says the following in his book Unfinished, Filling the Hole in Our Gospel: “God’s deepest
desire is not that we would help the poor. God’s deepest desire is that we
would love the poor; for if we love them, we will surely help them.”
Recently, I was moved by a friend’s decision to
listen to God’s voice while standing in the line at the grocery store. The lady
ahead of her was having difficulty with her debit/credit card being accepted,
so she was going to call her bank while at the store in order to get the
problem straightened out. My friend heard God telling her to pay for the
women’s groceries. Whether or not the lady needed the financial assistance or
not, it was probably a frustrating and embarrassing situation for her, and my
friend responded out of caring and an obedience to God’s voice by offering to
help.
Not long after, I was approached at a gas station by
a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties and who had driven up in an older
beater. He’d been out of work for some time, and he asked humbly if I could spare a gallon of gas. After listening to an inner voice encouraging me to give him cash, I felt total
peace. The man was appreciative and even seemed surprised that I’d offer more than requested. He headed straight for the station clerk and paid for
his gas.
A waitress who attempts to give customers a better
day by her smile, her attentiveness, or her understanding when those she serves
are less than kind, may very well be showing them love, though undeserved.
What do these scenarios have to do with purpose?
I believe that sometimes God gives us opportunities
to be his “angels,” and in doing so, we fulfill his purpose for us in that
moment in time. When we obey God’s whisper to love, we may never know the true
impact our small acts of kindness may have, but he does.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but
do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have
the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I
have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I
give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may
boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
(I Corinthians 13:1 NIV)
God gave us a wonderful example of purpose rooted in love. Jesus came to earth in human form because of it.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John
3:16 NIV)
I believe if we can focus on love in all situations—no
matter what jobs, family responsibilities,
or goals we have—we may very well be on our way to living the most fulfilled
lives possible.
Have
you ever felt a tug on your heart to perform an act of kindness? If so, what was
the result?
If
you’re struggling with something—or someone—in your life right now, how might
changing your perspective and trying to view it/them through eyes of love help
you view things differently?
Dawn
No comments:
Post a Comment