What is your purpose?

What is your purpose?

How many of us wonder what our purpose on this Earth is?  How many of us just wander around without purpose, just doing life without focus, going through the motions without a clear destiny?

Last week at Sisterhood, things started to come together for me.  I had been wandering around my life, not really focused, not living with purpose.  I was hoping that things would change but I didn't have a clear plan or path to where I was going.  It was like getting in your car and you know where you want to be but your GPS isn't working and your driving without a map, without a guidance system.  That is pretty much a waste of time and gas, to go somewhere without purpose and a plan!  Why would we live our lives like that?  Life is more than working to pay bills, getting through the school year just to start a new one, getting from one event to another.  We should have dreams, goals, plans, and purpose to guide us through life and to give life meaning.

The theme of Sisterhood Mornings this semester is called, Rhythms of Grace.  We are talking about doing life with a rhythm and setting the pace with the things that matter the most, the things that help us to fulfill our purpose.  Linda Riddle was the speaker last week and she talked about opportunity and purpose.  Different opportunities come our way, doors open, things happen and we have to decide whether to take on those opportunities or to pass on them.  If we don't know what our purpose in life is, how can we know what opportunities to take?  

What are you most passionate about?  What are the things that bring you joy?  What are the things that make your heart soar?  What brings fulfillment and contentment into your life?  

Read this passage from Proverbs 31:16:

"She considers a new field before she buys or accepts it, (expanding prudently and not courting neglect or her present duties by assuming other duties); with her savings of time and strength, she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard."

The Proverbs 31 woman uses wisdom in her planning and opportunities.  She takes the time to consider new opportunities before she agrees to them.  She has to make sure her current responsibilities aren't going to be neglected by taking on this new thing.  She has margin in her life and only takes on things that will be fruitful and further the fulfillment of her purpose.

My purpose in life is found in Proverbs 31 verses 8-9:

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.  Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless and see that they get justice." New Living Translation

My purpose is directly related to women and how women are objectified in society, treated as less than human and less than/not equal to men, and how those things affect how women perceive themselves.  

My focus is to help women to attain a healthy mind, body, and soul with emphasis on the body.  The most important things to me are healthy eating, positive body image, and combating objectification of women/children.  I believe that in changing societies view of women and shining a light on how objectification degrades females, that will help to break the cycles of abuse in domestic situations, human trafficking, and the sex trade.  If a woman, through taking care of herself produces a positive body image, she will be less likely to fall into the traps and snares set out to destroy her.

My goal is to bring God glory by being a godly woman that loves her body, the body that God gave me, to love the LORD with all my heart and with all my soul, and to champion women's strengths and successes.  God created women to partner with men, not to be tread upon and used for men's pleasure.  Together, men and women are meant to compliment each other's strengths in building family and community.  

With a clear purpose and goal, I can now set a plan in motion to fulfill my purpose!  Focusing on God and His plan for my life will help me to choose the opportunities that arise carefully and with godly wisdom.  

"Good planning and  hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty"  Proverbs 21:5

Sunday's coming...

Picture the most beautiful place you've ever been, here on Earth, and now imagine that this is a place where there is no more pain, no more death, no more violence, anger, sadness, worry, anxiety, hunger. What awaits you is love, freedom, joy, happiness, fullness, satisfaction, laughter. If you've ever lost a child, that child is there and will run to you, perfect in every way, waiting to love you and reconnect with you. I picture my grandmother in a glorious new body, just like when she was in her youth. I can see her sitting in the most wonderful English garden surrounded by flowers, in full bloom all year round. Who can you picture in heaven waiting for you? The God who created us, who created the world, wants us to return to heaven to be with Him. Death here on Earth isn't the end, it is just the beginning. Life here is the proving grounds, our battlefield, where we are tested and tried through trials and tribulations. God gives us the tools we need to get through to the other side to be with Him forever, but He needs us to turn to Him and accept His help, His love, His guidance, His wisdom, and most of all His Son, Jesus. All He needs from us is love but we have to give it freely, it has to be a choice that we make of our own free will. Do you want your husband or wife or child to love you only because they are forced to do it? Is that love? God wants our love, He can't force it on us and I wouldn't want Him too. He is there waiting for you to turn to Him. It doesn't matter where you are in life, it doesn't matter what you've done or who you love. Nothing can disqualify you for receiving that love and forgiveness, except to reject that love and forgiveness. No one is perfect. No one gets it right all the time. All of us have issues, problems, and things that we think get in the way of God loving us. You need to know right now, that God loves you more than you can imagine just because He created you. He loves you right where you are today and He always has. Our soul yearns for that perfect love and the way we go after that perfect love can be very destructive. Money, beauty, fame, success, health, longevity, clothes, cars...none of those things bring lasting joy to us. We chase after the American Dream, or the dream from where ever you live, but it never satisfies our deepest desires to belong, to be accepted, to be loved, to be cherished. What is your dream? A big house, a car that never breaks down, kids who obey the first time, a partner that responds to your every need, a positive balance in your checking account, taking trips around the world, being loved unconditionally, finding your soul mate? God created us to live in the most perfect place imaginable. It is written on our hearts, that is why we long for it but we never know how to make it happen. We strive in life for the best but it will never, ever satisfy us the way God can. Jesus sacrificed His life for you so that you can go to heaven and live in that perfect place. There isn't anyone here on this planet that can complete you the way Jesus can. He knows exactly what you need and He loves you and He knows your deepest secrets, you know, those secrets that you will never utter to anyone alive. The mercy of God is like this: When you turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness, everything you've ever done wrong is wiped away and all He sees when He looks at you is love.

This is a picture of heaven from the book of Revelation 21:1-5 The New Heaven and The New Earth:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away ever tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

This life isn't all there is. God gives us a hope for the future, for eternity. Our bodies will pass away but our spirits will never die.

Instead of living a life devoted to the things that bring you pain, live a life devoted to the ONE who gave you life and loves you freely.