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HOW TO LIVE WITH PURPOSE
May 17, 2024The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8b
There is extraordinary intentionality behind what God initiated when He said, “Let there be light,” and created us (Genesis 1:3, 27). Then, when Jesus walked the earth, He had a purpose to redeem humanity. God has a plan for each of us, and it is appropriate to develop a vision for our lives. Let’s get out the stethoscope for our lives, tap into the heart of God, and listen for His heartbeat for us.
1. GET YOUR PURPOSE FROM THE WORD. You can anchor your whole life on the truth found in the Scriptures. God will reveal Himself through His Word and give you vision for your future. In Luke four, Jesus modeled how to resist the devil. When the Holy Spirit led Jesus out to the wilderness to fast, the devil took note and began to attack Jesus right at the inception of this redemption moment. To every bombardment questioning Jesus’ purpose and authority, Jesus responded with scripture saying, “It is written.” Like Jesus, you need to find what the Bible says about your future and calling and resist the devil with the Word.
2. TAKE AIM AND SET GOALS. What is God saying to you? God wants to train and equip us – that’s why we seek God to get clear on our goals. In the Bible, Habakkuk was keeping a close watch to see what God would say to him (Habakkuk 2:1). Then God told him to “Write down the vision and inscribe it clearly on tablets, so that one who reads it may run” (Habakkuk 2:2). I have vision for my marriage, for my family, for our church, for my generation, and for the nations. I get it all from the Word. I constantly go back to the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to help me interpret it, so I am “accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
3. HAVING DONE EVERYTHING TO STAND FIRM, STAND FIRM. We can stand firm because God is our foundation (2 Timothy 2:19). Here are some scriptures to meditate on as you hold steady in your purpose: “Stand firm in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13). “Stand firm in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1) Stand “firm in one spirit” (Philippians 1:27) Having done everything to stand firm, stand firm (Ephesians 6:13-14).
4. STAY WITH IT WITHOUT WAVERING. We are at our best when we stay single-minded, eyes on Jesus throughout the course of our lives. “With respect to the promise of God, he [Abraham] did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). We don’t have to shrink back or throw in the towel because we can be fully assured of what God has promised. “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).
PRAY THIS PRAYER:
Help me, Lord, to take aim and hit the mark, to be faithful to the call. Help me to live out my days purposefully and to serve You. Deliver me from evil. I pray Matthew 6:10, that Your will be done on earth like it is in heaven in Jesus’ name, amen!
Press on!
Pastor Jeff Perry
pur·pose, noun
That which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure, or exertion; view; aim; design; intention; plan.
Copyright © 2024 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. “Purpose, N. (2).” The GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English, 2024, https://gcide.gnu.org.ua/?q=purpose&define=Define&strategy=.
