I think for the better part of my life, I have just been going through the motions. No purpose. No direction. When I was younger I would go to school, come home and do homework, watch TV, go to my friends, go to bed and do it all over again the next day. Even now my days consist of homeschooling my kids, watching TV (though now the shows are far less interesting), playing games, and then going to bed just to do it all over again. Sometimes I feel like I'm in that movie "Groundhog's Day". Do you remember that movie? In case you don't, the premise of the movie is: a self-centered TV meteorologist who gets stuck repeating the same day over an over again. These are 2 of my favorite quotes from the movie:
1. "What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."
and the BEST one...
2. "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?"
That last quote really hits home. Does anyone else feel like no matter how hard they try to change, everyday is the same and nothing you do matters? Or is it just me? I feel like this a lot and I think the reason is because I really don't try and find God's direction for me. So today, I am trying to see what God has to say about His purpose for my life.
Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope"
This verse tells me that:
1. God has a plan for my life...and your life.
2. God's plan is to give us a future and hope.
So many times we go through life bogged down with no direction, and we try and find our purpose in other things besides God. We all have a void in us; a God shaped hole and no amount of money or possessions will ever fill that void. I believe God will reveal His plan and purpose for us, but we have to be willing to listen and follow Him. Some people; some of my friends used to be close to God, but didn't think God saw them in their struggle. I used to think the same thing; that God must have not heard my cry. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me assure of something...God sees you. He knows what you are going through. He sees every tear you cry. He knows everything there is to know about us...and He still loves us. In spite of our failures and shortcomings. That's the beauty of grace; that no matter what you've done, no matter how far away from God you are, you can still turn back to Him and He will be there. His plans for us don't change just because we refuse to listen. Let me share with you one of my favorite passages.
Psalm 34:17-20
"17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken."
Don't think that life has passed you by or that your best days are behind you. Don't think for one second that God can't use you. Don't think that He doesn't have something great for you to do. You just need to get to that place where you can hear Him. Where there are no distractions. Just you and God. Ask Him to show you His purpose for your life...He won't disappoint you. His plan for my life? I am going back to South Africa. That is where He is calling me to. What's His plan for your life? Ask Him.
Psalm 138:8
"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands"
“When I was a kid, my father would sit by my bed every night before I went to sleep. And he's say to me, "Percy, if you don't wake up tomorrow, if it turns out that today is your last day on earth. Will you be proud of what you've done in this life? Because if you ain't, you better start getting square."”
ReplyDeleteFrom the movie Legion
I agree that too many people have no purpose in life they define themselves by what they do and think that’s a purpose and sometimes they are right. People make jokes about zombies but in a way they are real, look at the people coming and going with no spark in their life I can’t think of a better word to describe them.
“When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.”
Only a person that has truly lived dies a good death.
Also I am proud of you for going far away from your home, comforts, and loved ones, to help those less fortunate.
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:40