More Than Society's Purpose

Purpose. We live in a world that values the idea of purpose. We wonder ourselves what our purpose is. In the places we work, the school we go to, the things we do, what's my purpose here? I think we ask that question, especially when we are struggling. When struggles come, we question our purpose. Why am I even in this school? Why am I even in this class? Why am I even working here? Purpose. I find it so interesting that purpose is something everyone is very concerned with. I mean by the time you graduate, people expect you to know you purpose in the world, know how and where you're going to plug into society. Each week I give the kids I watch a main point to memorize. This weeks was "God created everything with a purpose." I would actually say He created everything with purposes, plural. In addition to sharing this main point with them, I asked them what our purpose is as followers of Christ. They said all the things, from loving others to sharing His Word to living like Christ. Later I realized, Christians are so focused on plugging into society rather than being content as a citizen of Heaven. The world tells us you need to find your purpose. But you already have yours. Your purpose(s) as a follower of Christ should ALWAYS come before trying to find your place in society. You not only have the purposes as a Christian, but you also have individual purpose that God has placed in you. We all have the same purposes as one body, but we also all have different purposes as we are all different parts of the body.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Know your purposes as a follower of Christ and prioritize fulfilling those and the rest will line up. But if you focus first on fitting into society and finding your place in the world, you will surely feel like a foreigner, because you are trying to build a house somewhere that is very far from your true Home. This will make you feel like you don't have a purpose, because you are ignoring your primary purpose. If you ignore your primary purpose, it will be very hard to figure out your secondary purpose. You need to remember, this world is not your home. But in the same manner, we do need to work and live in the world for now, but while we are here, we cannot forget our King. We need to live for Him first and He will guide the rest. He knows every purpose He has for you. He knows your purposes as His Child and as a member of the body. He knows how He wants to use you and He will and He is. He will and has purposefully placed you and where you are is not a mistake, it's part of a grander story. His story. So whenever you feel like you don't have a purpose in the present. Ask yourself, what purpose(s) are you focusing on? Why do we try so hard to force ourselves to fit into society when we know this is not our home? I think part of that, is we long to be home, so we try to make home here. But our home, again, is in Heaven. And while we are here, we can look to Him to ease our homesickness. You have many purposes, but the ones you have as a citizen of Heaven, which are made clear to you need to be your focus. Go. Live for Christ. Share His Word. Don't seek society to tell you what you are or what to do, let God do that. Let Him reveal to you where you are being called.