Nothing Like It

Life without a purpose is a languid, drifting thing; every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves, "This day let me make a sound beginning, for what we have hitherto done is naught!” ~Thomas Kempis

There is nothing like having purpose, especially one directed by my Lord. It is not enough to know what interests you or what your God-given gifts are. I have known many people with amazing gifts, who seem lost as to how to use them. I have also known many people with very few gifts, who used all they had in amazing ways. The difference is purpose or the lack of it.

In reality, most people live somewhere between these two extremes and even then it is not steadfast course on the sea of life, but something more like the ever-changing tide. Even people with purpose can get caught in the ebbs and, once in awhile, even foundering people will jet stream on a purposeful route for a limited time.

Sometimes we feel we have lost our purpose or at least the direction of it for a time...but it could be that God is just allowing us to take a break. As difficult as it is for a person to find his purpose, once he has found it, it seems even more difficult to take a break from it or even change course. I know this because once a home business was my purpose. It was blessed by God and I used gifts God had given me that I did not even know I had. Eventually, I was comfortable with that purpose...but I also learned it was not to be the course I was meant to take for all my life; it was only to be for a season, according to God's purpose.

I was given another purpose and even though I began to understand that the two could not be well done simultaneously, I attempted to do it. God must have known that I could not give up on either one, so He made it absolutely clear which course I was to take and without question I knew that my business was to be abandoned completely. That was very difficult, and even though my ministry was intertwined with the business, it would survive without it. God wanted my purpose to be in homeschooling my daughter, and I would also be keeping my family healthy with the knowledge I had gained through my business and help with the healing of people in a non-profit consulting capacity. The amazing part is once the one purpose was discarded completely (and that took some time), I felt so much freedom to pursue the one God had given me and I enjoyed it so much more!

At times, I forget my own purpose. Ironically, I was talking with someone who felt a bit lost in her purpose. She knows what it is, but she felt a bit confused as to how to go about doing it. In talking to her, I realized I was enjoying watching her countenance change as she began to plan how to navigate back onto her course, onto her purpose, to fulfill God's purpose.

She may think I helped her, but actually she helped me remember my own God-given purpose. I am still learning that in giving, I am also given....

God is just amazing like that!

~ My Lord, thank you for giving my life purpose and for guiding me to fulfill Your purpose. I ask that You keep me the course You have planned for me. ~