Live on Purpose
It’s Monday morning and the “sunny vibe” ringtone you chose for your phone alarm is sounding not so cheerful. Time to start the day and begin another week. Suddenly the late-night movie binge, fun packed weekend, and last week’s overloaded calendar is taking its toll; you’re ready for a mini vacation not a six-day workweek. At times it takes more than sheer will to begin your Monday, it demands — Living on Purpose.
Living “on purpose,” if not defined, overflows with ambiguity. Purpose is the reason behind your action; it is the wind in your sail, it explains the “why” that supports your thought patterns and decisions. Purpose rules your soul, mind, and spirit. Purpose is your North Star. Without it you will find yourself drifting from one thing to the next without commitment or passion.
An immediate cure for a lack of purpose is J-E-S-U-S. Herein lies the secret – individual purpose is discovered through knowing Jesus as LORD. Without Jesus your purpose remains hidden in a field like a buried treasure. As you surrender your life to Him each day, you unearth the reason for which you are made, and the Kingdom mission that God has crafted for each son and daughter.
For me this process spans many decades, and with each decade, God invites me to co-write a new chapter in my faith story. For the past ten years God has asked me to trust Him for a personal Vision Statement. Shortly after Covenant Grove was planted, Pastor Scott began Leadership Trainings which then led to a six-week intensive Leadership Training. The Intensive proved to be a crucial stage in the development of my spiritual journey. One of the initial assignments was drafting a personal Vision Statement to guide ministry. When I drafted this statement ten years ago, I did not realize it would serve as my North Star, nor did I see the pathway for the vision. What I did know was God had pressed deep into my soul the mystery of Exodus 33:18-23 which prompted my Vision Statement: To lead and teach people to press into the presence of God through worship, prayer, and the declaration of Scripture in order to receive holistic healing and pursue their God-given mission. At the same time, I began to sense an urgency for people to be equipped and empowered in their personal God-given mission of building His Kingdom. I knew that without a consistent diet of the Word, worship and prayer, our souls become starved for the Bread of Life; He who breathes life into us: “For in Him we live, move, and exist” (Acts 17:28). Without Christ as our anchor, our emotions, actions, and purpose are pulled towards whatever our culture deems as “good and successful,” or we are drawn to a multiplicity of meaningful deeds that fail to steer us to our God-given purpose. My Vision Statement drafted ten years ago, has provided a plumb line and fixed parameters for my commitments. Even before it was on paper, my vision dictated my true North. Now you may ask, as I have, “Is this a Vision Statement that Serena drafted or God?” I can tell you that planning ten years into the future is not my forte. What I do remember though from my senior year in high school, was the sense of adventure and wonderment of placing your entire focus on Jesus as Lord in mission work or as a minister of Christ.
Whether you are young, a mature age, or somewhere in between, ask God to help you draft a Vision Statement to guide your faith journey. Think about subjects that stir your emotions and your faith? What makes you joyful or angry? If your Vision Statement is something you can do without God’s help, then it’s probably not a God-given vision. Vision comes from the all-seeing One and is communicated through His Holy Spirit as we spend time with God in His word, in awe-inspired worship, and with others who challenge you to go deeper. Carve out time with God, ask Him to reveal His vision for this year, for five, then ten years. Specifically, how are you to assist in the building of God’s Kingdom. Often the vision God gives you aligns with your natural gifting and then your spiritual gifts. However spiritual gifts may or may not align with your natural gifting because they are given in God’s timing to “build up” the body of Christ. Once you’ve drafted your Vision Statement, and have a Scripture to support it, share your declaration with a trusted friend or mentor. Who is around you that will partner with you in faith as you take your next step? Covenant Grove has Leaders and Ministers ready to encourage you in this process!
A Vision Statement or declaration leads us forward and compels us to put one foot in front of the other trusting God with each step. Vision is rarely achieved quickly and there will be a gap between your declaration and the actualized promise. During the “wait,” the shadows of discouragement can distract us and cause unbelief. You may even endure setbacks. Stay Rooted! Practice the rooted habits at home, at work, with your family, in your Life Group, and when you serve. Step by step He will lead you forward. The gap between the promise and the provision, or the vision and the actualization, is a rich period of preparation. As parents, we don’t take the training wheels off our kid’s bike until we know they have acquired a sense of balance. Nor do we hand our car keys to our sixteen-year-old before they pass their driving test.
Living on purpose, is living with intentionality which requires commitment to your God-given vision. Living on purpose keeps us relying on Jesus and the leading of His Spirit. He is our North Star. While you are waiting on the “next steps” of your vision, serve, serve, serve! Don’t fall for the enemy byline of FOMO, “the fear of missing out.” Find ways to support someone else’s vision. God will use your efforts in helping others to hone your vision. Join a serving team at church. Serve outside the church. Join a team or Life Group serving meals at the Gospel Mission or spend time with the youth at the Gospel Mission. Join someone else in a prayer need and follow God’s leading. Two weeks ago, a friend in a Life Group began praying for another sister in her Life Group to find a new home. Because she faithfully joined another sister in prayer, and acted upon the Holy Spirit’s prompting, there is a strong possibility they will be neighbors! Our God-given purpose is not isolated — we are connected in our Kingdom Building Purpose.
Live on Purpose!