Our Purpose in Life

 

I temporarily un-retired a few weeks ago. The clinic I used to work for suddenly had an urgent need for help at the same time I was looking to work a little to help with a family need. I’m confident that the Spirit brought us together at the proper time.  Even though I’m doing the same thing at the same place as I was before I retired, it feels different to me. I’m better able to cope with the stressors and problems that occur. I think it’s because I went back to work with a purpose, to help the clinic and my family.

 

We all woke up today, got out of bed, and started the day in our usual fashion. We made our plans for the day and set out on whatever journey was in store for us. The question is: Did we start out today with a purpose for our life or did we just head out on autopilot?  It is inevitable that we will encounter difficulties each day because that is the nature of life. Some may just be irritants; others may be life-altering. The way we deal with these issues and how we let them affect us are a function of how we view our purpose in life.

 

Paul wrote to the slaves and others in Colosse, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). I suspect that this message was an eye-opener to the slaves who heard it. Paul asked them to redefine their purpose in life from serving their master to serving Jesus. This would cause a major change in how they viewed their day-to-day activities.

 

Paul’s message applies equally to us today. If we start each day with our purpose being to serve Jesus, to come to know Him better, and to serve everyone He puts in front of us, we may find the way a little easier and certainly more joyful because Jesus will be with us through His Spirit. We can then claim, as Paul did, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

 

Let’s be conscious of our purpose in life and let it have an impact on our daily lives.