Understanding Purpose (5)

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
– Revelation 4:11

Generally, purpose can be explained in a threefold sense, namely the universal purpose, situational mission and individual assignment.

The universal purpose is that which is applicable to every human, irrespective of race, colour, societal status, exposure, education, vocation and so forth. The universal purpose of all humans is to worship and honour God. That is non-negotiable; it is the general duty of man, atheist or non-atheist. There is no differentiation in this particular mandate, although the way each individual goes about doing it could be different from person to person.

God created humans firstly for fellowship. Whilst the word fellowship may be considered in a loose term as a relationship between equals; however, in the equation of God and man, there is no equal. God is greater than the biggest, the richest, and the most powerful of men, since He created every one. And He created all for His own pleasure. By configuration, there is a void in every human that can only be filled by the Supernatural. People who don’t know the true God seek to fill theirs by worshipping non-God elements.

Discovering the universal purpose of worship is not far-fetched either, and does not require elaborate self-examination. It is inborn. Man will essentially worship something. Now, in the right context, worship is beyond what is done in church or other spiritual gatherings, although that is an important part of it. Worship is all-encompassing and covers all aspects of life, including the way you live, the way you work, the way you do things, and the way you conduct yourself generally. That is why the Bible says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Glorifying God is the first purpose of humankind.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Understanding Purpose (4)

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things…
– Ecclesiastes 7:25

Still in continuation of our meditation on purpose, let us further consider some sublime thoughts on purpose and related matters from James Allen’s classic, As A Man Thinketh:

– Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul.

– Man is buffeted by circumstances as long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.

– Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.

– Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent achievement.

– Aimlessness is a vice.

– They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, and self-pityings…which lead…to failure, unhappiness, and loss.

– To put away aimlessness and weakness and to begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment. Who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.

– Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.

– He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure.

– Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force. He who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger…He who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Understanding Purpose (3)

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things…
– Ecclesiastes 7:25

We are still considering some pertinent factors about purpose:

8. It takes an accountability system to live and fulfil it: purpose blossoms when anchored on an accountability system. Having someone in your life who holds you accountable for your daily activities and pursuits would help you to stay on course in the fulfilment of your assignment.

9. It will give you a sense of fulfilment: the greatest fulfilment you can get is in knowing that you are making a difference as well as fulfilling your life purpose.

10. It helps you to identify your destiny partners: purpose is the best metric through which you can ascertain whom to marry, whom to be friendly with, whom to go into business with, whom to hire as workers, whom to submit to, and so on. As the Bible says, two persons cannot walk together except they agree. Knowing your purpose helps you to identify who is compatible with you, and who is not.

11. It is in the Word of God: your purpose is not far-fetched. It can be found in the Holy Bible, God’s manual for life. Any proclaimed purpose that has no root in the Bible is mere personal agenda.

12. It takes God and His resources to fulfil it: there is no fulfilling your purpose outside the help and provision of God. Any purpose that you can conveniently afford to execute with your own resources is probably not big enough.

13. Your success is hinged on fulfilling it: to God, the fulfilment of your purpose is the real indicator of your success, not your bank account, asset, or networks.

14. It guides you to make the right choices and decisions in life: purpose is the best benchmark by which you could make choices and decisions.

15. It has been in you all along: your purpose is already wired into your DNA, merely awaiting discovery. It is not something you have to travel anywhere to discover. It is within you and it is crystallised in the Bible for your identification.

16. You might have been fulfilling it without knowing: you might have been fulfilling your purpose one way or the other, but without giving a name to it or knowing that is what you are doing.

17. You can make a career out of it: happy is the man or woman whose purpose synchs with his/her professional career or business. Your purpose can be the core of your professional pursuits, business or other commercial endeavours.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Understanding Purpose (2)

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things…
– Ecclesiastes 7:25

In continuation of our meditation on Purpose, here are additional facts about purpose:

2. It is always people-centred: God-given purpose is usually focused on people. A purpose that is worth its name is premised on service to others in various ways, rather than pursuing own interest. In the equation of purpose, the self is usually non-existent. It is all about people; what you can do to serve them, help them, better them, encourage them, etc.

3. It has nothing to do with family background or standing in the society: everyone, old and young, noble and lowly born, clergy and laity are released on earth with specific mandate. Purpose is not only for the rich, nor is it the sole prerogative of the poor or the idle.

4. It helps you to set your priorities in life: knowing your purpose will help you to determine what is really important, as against what is not. This will therefore help you to know the degree of importance you accord various activities based on their value returns in relation to your purpose.

5. It is your destiny: purpose is what is popularly called destiny. It is your assignment on earth. It is your mission. It is your essence. The extent of your fulfilling it is how much you have fulfilled destiny.

6. It helps you to make use of time: knowing your purpose in life is a major factor in helping you to manage your time more productively. A conscious acceptance and pursuit of your purpose will help you know what to spend more time on and, in contrast, what will constitute a waste or less productive use of your time.

7. God will require an account of stewardship from you on it: because nobody created or apportioned life assignment for him/herself, but God; He naturally would expect an account of how you fulfil the mandate He commissioned you to execute, which is your purpose. The extent of your success at it will determine how many crowns you are given.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Understanding Purpose (1)

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things…
– Ecclesiastes 7:25

So many things have been said and written about Purpose, and this is justifiable because it is at the centre of everything in life. Most of the lives that are celebrated on account of their contributions to humanity are so renowned because the individuals involved have probably found purpose and lived, or are living, it.

Purpose is the reason for the existence of anything, and that applies to every human. Everything around are here because they are performing one function or the other, without such function, there would be no need for such thing. And the more function an item is able to perform, the greater its value in the eyes of its owner. The same principle applies to humans, we are all here for different reasons, and there are specific functions each of us is made to perform on earth.

God created us to execute certain assignments; hence, our existence. He did not create anyone merely for the fun of it, or just for the person to loaf around – to eat, work, play, sleep and eventually die. Each one of us was created with specific mandate to fulfill. That is our purpose. The sad thing is that only few individuals get to discover their purpose in life, and yet fewer people fulfill their own purpose before passing on.

Call on Him

– Author Unknown
The boy walked along the ocean shore trying not to stray. He looked up to his father saying, “Dad, I want to play.”
His father looked upon him, with love showing in his eyes. “Do what you want to, my son, but do not leave my side.”
“I would never leave you Daddy, I love you way too much.” But the boy took a step away, out of his father’s range of touch.
He walked through the surf, the waves tickling one toe. “If I take one more step in,” he thought, “Father will never know.”
His father called out to him, “Son, to me remain true!”
The boy thought with glee, “At the moment I don’t need you!”
His father felt a sadness, but he held his tongue. Sometimes lessons need to be learned even when so young.
The boy stepped out a little further the water covering his waist. His father spoke with urgency his father spoke with haste.
“My son, come back to me,” he said, “The day is almost done!”
“Not yet, Dad,” the boy yelled, “I’m having too much fun!”
But the boy did not have his father’s insight so he could not yet tell, the tide was coming in fast, there would be no time to yell.
“Father!” he tried to scream, as the water covered his head. “I need you now, Daddy!” was what the boy had said.
And in a single instant his father was by his side.
“I thought you left me, Daddy. I thought you went to hide.”
The father looked upon his son, a tear streaming down his cheek. The boy looked upon his father and cried the sobs of the meek.
“I would never leave you son, for I love you just the same. I was only waiting for you to call upon my name.”
Meditation: In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears. – 2 Samuel 22:7
You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Your Operational Manual (Part 2)

…that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

– Deuteronomy 8:3b

To live connotes an ability to do many things: work, interact, study, transact, pursue, marry, parent, and so on. All of these and much more are encapsulated in the word “live.”

In the passage above, we see the heart of God concerning living and every activity tied to it. God expects us to function by His word. That means He expects us to work, study, interact, pursue, marry, husband, wife, parent, prosper, and so forth in accordance with the instructions He has decreed concerning such in the Holy Bible.

A clergy once described the Bible as “the creator’s manual for maximized living.” Nothing can be truer than that. The Bible contains specific instructions of God concerning every aspect of life. It is interesting to note that the Bible addresses all life issues – marriage, career, business, ministry, relationships, service, leadership, followership, etc. That is why it is always current. No matter the number of times you’ve read it, you still get fresh insights every time you study it. It also remains relevant to various human situations, that is why it is the bestselling book of all time. We only need to make time to study it daily to be apprised with the mind of God concerning our situations and happenings around us.

It is a book of solutions. It contains ageless wisdom that can help you unlock the door to significance on the earth and grant you access to the throne of God in the hereafter. It will help you redeem time and fine-tune your character every time you expose yourself to it. Please ensure you read it every day.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!