Living on Purpose – The story of our life is being written

By Bill Holland

When it comes to finding our place in this world, let’s consider two categories. The first one I call “floating down the river.”

Picture someone napping in a small boat without a compass or a paddle. Having a spectator mentality, they have no map or intentional direction but rather are just hoping for the best.

It’s also common for these individuals to throw pity parties from time to time, as a happy-go-lucky lifestyle usually runs into serious disappointments. Often haunted with thoughts of being left behind, they are caught in a vicious cycle of confusion and discouragement.

As a Christian counselor, I’ve tried to help those who are stuck in this drifting mindset and certainly have compassion on them, but we all have to do our share of searching and praying.

No doubt it’s extremely difficult to figure out our calling, but it’s also not helping the situation by living in denial and blaming everyone else for our problems and failures.

It’s always scary to move out of our comfort zone and face reality because sometimes life can seem like a huge mountain that’s impossible to climb. If you’ve ever tried to help someone find their direction, you understand when I say we cannot force anyone to do anything and neither can we help those who are not willing to help themselves.

In every area of life, those who desire a healthy state of being must see the truth about their own circumstances and be willing to do something about it.

Since God’s character and nature is divine order, we can agree there are no mandates or divine commissions for floating aimlessly through life.

The good news is that God is patiently waiting to help us whenever our passion to change becomes stronger than our excuses.

I believe that having Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life is the meaning and purpose for everything we do and this brings me to our second point.

As the author and finisher of our faith, God’s word reminds us that He’s drawn a general outline and a specific one-of-a-kind blueprint for everyone’s life according to his perfect plans.

It’s true, He rarely writes “John Smith will be a plumber” on the wall, but the basic concept of the Christian life is to be determined to listen and trust Him.

This truth encourages and motivates us, but another aspect of this challenge is to realize there are certain conditions and responsibilities on our part and in order for his plan to be fully activated, it will require surrendering our will to Him.

You see, with God being the potter and us being the clay, it’s critical to accept the fact that we do not conveniently add God to the ambitions we already have, but rather to allow Him to transform us into a brand-new creation.

Yes, it’s painful to not be in control, however this is a very important part of our personal relationship with Christ.

Our spiritual mission is more about Him molding us into His image than blessing our ideas.

He desires to be more than a Savior; He demands to be our Lord.

Personal change is not easy and anyone who advertises how wonderful it is to sacrifice, suffer and be uncomfortable, probably has a degree in marketing.

There’s nothing wrong with reading books about how other people have accomplished their goals, but even if we become experts on how to be successful, this does not automatically mean we will.

Besides, beyond the motivational seminars and the personal achievement formulas that are available, you are a unique individual and God has arranged a special path for you to take.

There is no substitute for prayer and perseverance if we are to become all that God has called us to be. Anyone who has experienced even a modest amount of success had to not only discover their spiritual blueprint, but to also arise from their couch and start building.

Every idea needs faith and a plan, but without allowing God to lead and teach us, we will most likely never fulfill our destiny. May we remember, the story of our life is being written and if we choose to follow God’s plans, we are a true success and will never be disappointed or ashamed.

Author: Stephan Drew

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