DISCOVERING PURPOSE

DISCOVERING PURPOSE

 Sir Winston Churchill made a memorable observation about the nation of Russia during a 1939 radio broadcast: “It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”  William Shakespeare wrote a similar comment about this journey that we call LIFE.  “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” (Macbeth, act 5, scene 5) Unfortunately for far too many, all that life represents can be summed up as riddles, mysteries, enigmas, idiotic tales, furious sounds…a rather depressing TOTALITY OF NOTHING.  Such sentiments make it challenging to even get out of bed in the morning, let alone to confront the unknown and potentially troublesome circumstances of any new day.  Such is the perilous plight of those whose lives are devoid of PURPOSE.

 Dictionary.com defines “PURPOSE” as “the reason for which something exists.”

 Perhaps, our most momentous accomplishment prior to our ‘DIRT NAPS’ will be the discovery of WHY we are here on this earth.  It is THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF OUR LIVES.  It is the underpinning of all our conscious and subconscious thoughts; it is what fundamentally motivates all decisions and actions.  Friedrich Nietzsche contended that “He who has a WHY to live can bear almost any HOW.”  I heartily agree.  It is the absence of PURPOSE that haunts and hurts us most.  To live without PURPOSE is to live without meaning.

 A century ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and, much to his surprise and horror, he read his own name in the obituary column.  The newspaper had erroneously reported the death of the wrong person.  His first response was total shock.  He thought, “Am I still alive?  Am I here or there?”  When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him.  The obituary title, “Dynamite King Dies,” described him as “the merchant of death.”  This was the public view of the man who was the inventor of dynamite.  When he read those words, “merchant of death,” something stirred deep within and he asked himself an important question, “Is this how I will be remembered?”  That day, he got in touch with his deepest feelings and concerns about life and decided that this was not the way he would live or be remembered.  From that point, he started working passionately toward world peace.  His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered by the prestigious prize that bears his name, “The Nobel Prize.”  Alfred Nobel searched his heart, redefined his values, and transformed his legacy.  We can do the same.

 Carefully consider this.  If you were to leave this plain-of-mortality today, how would you be remembered by your family, your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues, your co-workers, or even your enemies?  More importantly, what ‘SPIRITUAL OBITUARY’ would GOD inscribed in the Book of Life?

 The discovery of your purpose is the greatest gift and glory to The Creator who endowed you with the most precious of gifts: LIFE.   What are you doing with that which HE endowed?

 Jesus Christ taught a poignant parable about our Creator’s expected return-on-investment.  He said, “the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14) This parable is significant because it is symbolic of our God-given lives and distinctive abilities.  Our Creator designs uniqueness in each of us.  The servants in this parable were provided with differing degrees of goods in accordance with their abilities: one, two, or five talents.  The servants who received two and five talents traded and doubled that which had been initially granted.  The servant who received one talent hid it in the ground and offered insufficient excuses for his lack of productivity upon the return of the master.  The former were commended as “good and faithful servants.” (Matthew 25:21;23)  The latter was condemned as a “wicked and slothful servant.” (Matthew 25:26)

 It is my contention that the one-talented-servant underestimated both his personal worth and the value of that which had been entrusted to him.  It seemed small in his eyes, and that is precisely how he treated it.  The result was unfulfilled living and a calamitous ending.

 WHAT IS YOUR WORTH?  What is the value of the talents that have been assigned to your hands?  And what are you doing to maximize them?  My greatest fear in life is the possibility of standing before my Creator without a meaningful response to this question or without fruit that would justify a positive assessment. Jesus Christ issues this grave warning to all of us.  “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.” (Matthew 25:13) Ready or not, HE IS COMING.  So, discover your purpose and pursue it!

 Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!