2020: The Year of Purpose

Happy new year people! Welcome to my first blog in 2020. I’m so excited for what the Lord has in store for this year! I’ve been ruminating on “purpose” since December 2019. It’s been 2 months! I can’t get “purpose” outta my mind. Allow me to unload…

Pastor Rick Warren’s groundbreaking, bestseller book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here For, has sold a whopping 34 million+ copies since its initial release in 2002. Needless to say, the discovery and fulfillment of purpose has been and continues to be a hot button topic for every human being. “What’s my purpose on this God-made earth?” “How do I live out my purpose to its fullest potential?”

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his PURPOSE for them (Romans 8:28, NLT).

There is a God-inspired and God-breathed purpose for your life, and until you find that purpose you will feel out-of-sync and out-of-tune regardless of your pedigree, income bracket, degrees, or accomplishments. You are called by God to live according to the purpose he has defined for you as his beloved child.

Resolutions

The more I think about it, I have come to the conclusion that resolutions are self-centered, self-willed, self-driven, and they are potentially short-lived. Your resolutions will only go as far as you are able to steer and drive it to the finish line. There’s euphoria at the onset of making a resolution, but a letdown may be waiting along the way once your self-inspired energy reserves dissipate. Why? Scriptures make it clear that Jesus is our vine and we are the branches, APART FROM HIM [JESUS], WE CAN DO NOTHING (John 15:5). So, what’s the alternative?

Living a PURPOSE-Driven Life

• As a child of God, identifying your purpose in life and fulfilling that purpose is your birthright! You can delay and obstruct the fulfillment of your purpose, but you can’t deny your purpose forever and have peace. It will nag at you and cry out for your attention.
• For your purpose to blossom and reach full maturity, it must be matched with specific goals and plans. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23). We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9, NLT).
• The Lord has pre-packaged you to live a purposeful life even before you were born. Psalm 139:16 makes it clear that God knows all our days even before we experience one day of life on earth.
• Your purpose has longevity and it takes a lifetime to fine tune it. Everyday that you are privileged to live is an opportunity to fine tune your purpose and go to the next level.
• Discovering and walking in your purpose unleashes everlasting joy into your life even when the going gets tough and rewards are meager.
• Living outside your purpose creates an unrest, sadness, spiritual poverty, and feelings of mediocrity regardless of your income level, degrees, skills or experiences.
• Your purpose may not be glamorous, but you will feel glamorous and walk with confident strides when you are living out your purpose.
• To fulfill your purpose as a child of God, you must live by faith (Hebrews 10:38).

Purpose is Jealous For You!

• Your purpose may or may not be related to your current employment or business. However, beware that your purpose can be like a galloping horse that steadily gains more momentum with every stride. As you develop in your purpose, it may jealously drive you to quit your current salaried job or business to pursue a different path. Are you ready to take a risk???
• Speaking of jealousy, your purpose can be so jealous for you to the point that it may move you from your comfort zone to a different country, people or culture. Ready to learn a new language? Just ask Abraham. To fulfill his purpose as a father of nations, he had to endure a season of discomfort by migrating to another nation (Genesis 12:1-5).

A Purposeful Life is a Prayerful Life

Your purpose MUST be watered and nurtured with prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Just because you are loaded with talent and skilled to fulfill your purpose does not guarantee that you will fulfill your purpose. Your effective and fervent prayers (James 5:16) are key to weather life’s storms and unforeseen road bumps.

Joseph the Dreamer

• Your dreams and yearning desires can be an indicator of your purpose. For example, Joseph was called to leadership and his dreams confirmed that (Genesis 37:6-9). Despite adversity, betrayal, and trials, Joseph fulfilled his purpose and supernaturally rose to top leadership as a foreigner in Egypt (Genesis 41:40-41).
• Favor is the secret ingredient for advancing to the next level as you live a purpose-driven life. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12). Favor was the illogical, secret ingredient that catapulted Joseph from prison to Pharaoh’s palace, and eventually to top leadership in Egypt.
• Adversity, trials, challenges, abuse, the school of hard knocks etc., may attempt to derail your purpose, but you will come out on top if you do not give up. Do not be weary, you will reap a harvest in due season, if you faint not (Galatians 6:9, KJV).

Wrap-Up

Phew! I told you I have been ruminating on “purpose” for 2 months. I hope I inspired some fire in you or fanned your existing flames. Will you join me in seeking the Lord to discover your purpose and then begin to pursue that purpose with vigor in this year 2020? If you already know your purpose and are living it out, praise God! I pray God’s mercies and favor catapult you to your next level this year. Child of God, all of creation is waiting in eager expectation for you to be revealed as you live out your purpose (Romans 8:19, NIV). Someone, somewhere out there needs you.

Until we meet here again, WORK IT OUT*.

*Philippians 2:12 …WORK OUT your salvation with fear and trembling.