There is a story about a man who needed direction so he
asked God to speak to him. He shuts his eyes, opens his Bible and reads the
first passage of scripture upon which his eyes fall.
“Judas went out and hanged
himself.”
Okay, he thinks. Let’s try this again. So, he closes his
eyes, flips open the Bible and reads…
“Go, and do thou likewise.”
Wait a minute. Maybe
the third time’s a charm? Lord, I
need you to speak to me. He reads…
“That thou doest, do quickly.”
In Don’t Get it Twisted, Part 1, we
briefly discussed God’s original divine order for humanity. Today, we expand on
how the spirit, soul and body drive us toward purpose.
Feed the Spirit
You have God’s attention because you asked a question He has
been waiting to answer. Now, allow God to lead you on a purposeful path.
If you do not know your life’s purpose, take time to ask God
through fellowship and by feeding your spirit with His Word. Meditate on God’s
word to hear what He has to say.
If you already know, ask the Lord for spiritual guidance
towards fulfillment. His Spirit will speak to your spirit. Not through audible
expressions, necessarily. Something ignites a strong emotion within.
For example, you read an article about an uptick in poverty
statistics in the U.S. and want to help the poor. Another nursing home is cited
for abusive practices toward the elderly and you want to become an advocate.
Whatever the cause, you have identified a purpose that is connected with a
burning desire for fulfillment.
For me? My God-given purpose is service through developing comprehensive and
integrated programs that enable economically disadvantaged individuals to
improve their quality of life. Also, my passion for writing expresses another
purpose as God anoints my hand to write.
A drive and determination will begin to blossom when your
spirit has connected with the Spirit of God concerning your destiny. Once the
seed is planted, the only thing that can stop your growth is a lack of watering
and gardening.
Nurture the Soul
Fulfilling your life’s purpose is a journey where things are
revealed – and where things happen. However, there are times when those things
seem to contradict everything that you have come to know about God’s purpose
for your life.
You say, “Well, Lord. If You called me to do that, why am I going through this?” Nevertheless, God will continue
to orchestrate His purpose path for your life, even when you vacillate.
Oh, how many times did
these ‘life experiences’ cause me to move my hand from the plow!!!
Nurturing the soul aligns emotions and thoughts to the seed
God planted in your spirit. By definition, nurture is taking special care
towards the growth and development of something.
Something must rise up within when faced with challenges to
your reason for being. That something is called determination. See life’s
challenges as stepping stones, rather than obstacles, towards fulfilling God’s
purpose.
Body Works
Seeking our life’s purpose through a faulty paradigm often comes
from being led by the body’s desire. Remember this order: body, soul, spirit? This
could cause you to miss your true life’s purpose when efforts are made to
please the body first, rather than feeding the Spirit, which guides the soul’s
desire to a God-ordained purpose in life.
Even when I have tried to do something else because of discouragement,
timing, etc., I kept returning to the place where God had ordered my steps.
Sometimes kicking and screaming. Other times, humbly acknowledging that I
cannot leave this earth before God’s purpose in me is fulfilled.
As you continue on the purposeful path, you will begin to
see what God sees. You begin to believe in your purpose. Under submission, you
will the will of God for your life – through action. This vision helps you to
channel what you do into purposeful works.
Follow God’s order of spirit, soul, body with skill and
single-mindedness, and you will – without apologies – tenaciously pursue your
life’s purpose. Anything that stands in the way will be mowed down like tall
weeds.
These Three are One
God has created everything, including you, with purpose. He did not suspend the sun, moon, and
stars in mid air, telling them to shine on their own. He did not cause water
and land to appear out of nothingness and leave each to its own means of
survival. He did not place the beast in the field, the fowls in the air, and
the creatures in the sea to exist without His knowledge.
Know this: I am determined to successfully fulfill my life’s
purpose, knowing there is something for me to do that is greater than myself.
I persevere through personal and professional challenges
that equip me to continue this journey. My starts and stops do not change God’s
mind concerning me, my purpose and the people I am called to serve on this
earth.
Likewise, you have a purposeful journey to complete. Let go and allow
fear to fail while you succeed. Ask God to connect
you to the right people, at the right time, for the right purpose.
“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” Robert Byrne
