You Were Made For This
Days like this …
You know, the days that make you question your purpose, your sanity, your capacity. We all have days like this: the draft gets left at home, the keys get locked in the ignition, the piano teacher calls to gently remind that her little friends need to bring their theory books with them to the lesson.
There are also the days when you wonder if you will ever see light at the end of the tunnel, hope in the midst of the devastation, a purpose in the midst of the pain. What is the point of it all? What is my purpose?
The joy of walking with Jesus is that He has a calling unique to each of us. He has formed each of us with a purpose, and it is that purpose that shapes our days. Even days like this.
The Lord has gently been reminding me of the calling He has placed on my life. When I step into what He has made me to do, the struggles of the day find direction.
I understand the why, even when I don’t have all the answers. (“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ~Rom. 8:28).
I believe the how, even when I’m in the midst of the mystery. (“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” ~ Rom. 8:11)
I trust the when, even when it is not on my timetable. (“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”~2 Tim. 1:12)
How can we step into faith and understand the purpose He has for us?
1) Understand Your Calling is Unique. You were made for this. We are each given a unique calling meant only for us. The path He has for me may look drastically different from the path He has for you. The gifts He distributes throughout the body of Christ, are meant to complement one another, not compete with one another.
2) Look for the Guideposts. Throughout my life, I have had friends, professors, and strangers affirm the unique purpose He has for me. Look back through the years you have lived, and look for the guideposts He has given you. Often, the dreams you had as a child, give wonderful clues as to the calling He has for you.
3) Ask Yourself What Fulfills You. The beauty of God’s calling is that it is fulfilling. What brings you the most joy? When you dream, what visions shape your future? When we embrace the purpose God has for our lives, we find that all the “what ifs” no longer matter. We know we are doing what we were made to do. Our only task now is to love God and love others through fulfilling our purpose.
4) Commit to the SO THAT. In the book of I Corinthians, an unlikely apostle of Christ, Paul, shows how God’s calling supersedes the natural world we live in. He writes,
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
Whatever purpose He has called you to, it is not about you. It has and always will be about Him. He called us to Him when we had nothing to offer Him in return. He chose us when we were at our weakest, in order to shame the strong. He chose the things that are not.
May this mindset be in us, as we walk into the purpose He has for us. When it is, days like this reflect the glory of a God Who calls us in spite of ourselves. We find direction for our days, downward on our knees before a Holy God.
You were made for this, SO THAT …