Finding Purpose

So often I hear people say, "I know God has a purpose for me.  I just wish He would show me what it is."  Just yesterday, a woman in her 90s told me, "I know God still has a purpose for me still being here, I just wish He's show me what it is."

In response to her statement, I asked her to consider what she could do, considering her limitations of health and mobility.  After I helped her chew on that idea a bit, we came up with a "before I kick the bucket list" of things she could do: Phone someone and offer a word of encouragement, write a note to someone she cares about, offer prayers for individuals and nations...

I suggested that each day she think of one thing she could do that would honor God and minister to another, and then do that.  In so doing, she would be serving God with purpose.  I suggested that his purpose  for her might not ever be anything we consider grand or newsworthy but instead something small and within her ability to accomplish.

I think people, too often, look for and wait for some big, over-arching thing as purpose for their lives when they might find purpose daily in and around their common, everyday life.  The prophet Zechariah warned, “Who dares despise the day of small things...?" (4:10).  Jesus said, "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward" (Matt 10:42).

There aren't going to be many apostle Pauls or Billy Grahams.  Most of us will  not plant a church or step foot on a mission field.  Few will build and orphanage or start an inner city ministry.  But everyone, every day, can serve God with purpose.

Look around you as you go through your day.  What is it that makes you think, "Someone should do something about this"?  Then ask, "What is something I can do about this?"  Keep your eyes open for someone you can help, then try to help them.

 Yesterday, while in a nursing home visiting a patient, a very elderly woman, more than a little confused, yelled out to me, "Come here."  I walked over and sat beside her.  She looked up at me and said, "Hold my head."  As odd as the request sounded, I took her head in both my hands.  Then she said, "I didn't mean to say that."  "Could you brush my hair out of my eyes?"  I did and she smiled.  It wasn't much but it had purpose.

Solomon had a straight-forward way of finding purpose: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Eccl 9:10).  It is really no more difficult than that.  God's purpose is not normally laid out in some grand fashion before you begin.  It is most often found after you begin doing things you find to do along the way.  Those things may lead you to a hospital ministry, a mission opportunity, a daily blog, a church position, a neighbor, someone on the street, a mentoring program...

Don't waste your time sitting around waiting for a sign, get up and begin to do whatever your hands find to do and see where God leads you.  He may lead you across the globe, across town, across the street or across your table.  It doesn't matter where he leads you or what your hand finds to do, just go and do serving God along the way.  You will have a life of purpose.  Jus' Say'n.