Purpose

There are people (who I greatly admire) who seem to get maximum bang for their buck out of their time on earth. They are getting it done and in very grand style. Some are sold out for Christ, doing ministry work with genuine fervor, excelling in productivity and for absolutely all of the right reasons. Others are maximizing their career potential and, in so doing, fulfilling their God-given destinies as equally as those in full-time ministry. Their talents are not falling by the wayside. Nothing is wasted.

Then there are wanderers and meanderers like me. I am the proverbial donkey that left the ranch. I did not mean to, I NEVER mean to, but, inevitably the Holy Spirit has to increase pressure on my heart until I scream for depth and meaning and wheel my cart back for the ranch of purpose. Oh, I enjoy my diet of wild dandelions and races with tumbleweeds for a time. But I always circle back. He knows how to corral me. Sometimes it is my own empty spot that sends me packing for the water trough of God. I need Him. I cannot experience Him outside of my destiny. I feel I have missed large, voluminous aspects of that perfect plan. However, I have so much hope. Call me crazy, but I don't think our work ends when we die. I think we will have purpose and industry in heaven. It is and will continue to be a blessing. It's fun to be an individual. I don't believe that will ever die. God made each of us unique, and He enjoys our uniqueness!

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. I think God, while certainly setting us on paths of purpose that should be kept with diligence (read the book of Proverbs), actually gets a large kick out of us just, well, being us. This means that when we have fun doing things that we enjoy, He enjoys the scene. Just a thought. The next time you realize that you have either a) chosen a job that uses NONE of your strengths and kills your creativity or b) have made work an idol and do not express yourself as a human being through hobbies or recreational activities, try to remember the joy you had when your children were small and you watched them enjoy themselves. God feels that, too! If it's either too late or wholly impractical (watch this, because the Holy Spirit's direction can sometimes feel impractical to our finite human understanding) to get a new job or embark on a new, more fulfilling career, there are many, many other ways to fill your cup of fulfillment and purpose. Ask God to reveal them to you, and be prepared for him to answer you. He will!