Live a Purpose-driven Life 

Purpose is your reason for being; your raison d’etre. It is what draws you to wake up in the night to write, or do something even if you are not paid for it. Purpose drives you, fulfils you and defines you. 

Everyone has a purpose and a unique purpose at that. Everything has a purpose. Whether or not you know it, this does not preclude the fact that it has a purpose. Whether or not you know it, you have a purpose.

Abraham had a purpose. Despite the odds that were against him- being child-less, old to the point of having no sperm or low sperm-count and his wife also old and past her menopause, yet it did not matter to God. He had called them to be Father of many nations and mother of nations. Through him all the families of the earth would be blessed – pointer to Jesus. (Gen.12:1-3)

Eventually, the vision which tarried, delayed (as it were), came to pass in the fullness of time despite many challenges. And today, those who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are blessed- the seed of Abraham. ( Gen.15:1-7, Gen21:1-7)

Genesis 21: Isaac Is Born

¹      And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.

⁷      She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Joseph had a purpose. He was to be instrumental for the preservation of Israel who will be enslaved in a foreign land for over 400 years.

“Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. Gen15:13

 God revealed that purpose in pictures. Joseph understood that he would be in a prominent position and all his siblings would bow to him. However God did not share any details with him. In the fullness of time, after many difficulties and oppositions, it came to pass and he fulfilled his purpose, mission and vision.

Purpose Revealed

 “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:

⁷      There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” Gen.37:6-7

Fulfilment

 ⁴¹  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

⁴²   Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

⁴³   And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁴   Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”

⁴⁵   And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. Gen41:41-45

Paul had a purpose, despite starting out as an adversary to the Church – arresting and persecuting Christians, overseeing their execution.

⁵⁸   and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Act7:58

Acts 8: Saul Persecutes the Church

¹              Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem;

 However the more he opposed the Church, the more he was being magnetised to God.

Acts 9: The Damascus Road: Saul Converted

¹      Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

²              and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

        As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

⁴      Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵      And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

⁶      So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

¹⁷   I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

¹⁸   to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’Act26:16-18

 And this enemy of the Church, was gloriously, dramatically and unquestionably converted into a saint and trophy in the hand of God. Saul of Tarsus became St Paul who used the same zeal with which he opposed Christianity to forget the past and reaching forth for that which to press on for the mark of prize of his high-calling in Christ Jesus (Phil3:13-14). He went on to build churches, raise disciples and write 13 best-sellers of all time, giving us incredible revelation of Whose we are, what we are in Christ, and what we have in Christ. Paul would not be deterred by opposition. He was stoned many times, imprisoned many times, often shipwrecked, beaten with rods, lashed 39 strokes 5 times, misrepresented, mistreated, maligned, but he kept pressing on. He once said, “None of these things move me… ” Why? He was focused on completing his purpose( Acts20:24) and he did with finesse and was able to declare:

Paul’s Valedictory

⁶      For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

⁷      I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

⁸      Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Our Saviour, Jesus had a purpose. He knew that purpose, was passionate about that purpose, pursued that purpose and regardless of opposition, remained undaunted, unrelenting, uncompromising, unwavering until He said,”Teleiose” ( It finished!) ( John1:29, Luke2:49,John18:28-38, 1John3:8, John19:30)

Moses had a purpose – delivering the Children of Israel from the House of Bondage

¹¹           Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. Ex2:11

²⁴   By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

²⁵   choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

²⁶   esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

²⁷   By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Heb11 :24-27

. Moses knew about his purpose but missed the timing, killed someone and ran for his life. He went to a foreign land, changed his “passport”, got married, got a job as a Shepherd. He had started  speaking “sheepinese”, had almost forgotten his purpose. But one day, God found him in the back side of a desert and reminded him. 

“Moses, Moses!”

“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

⁸      So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…

⁹      Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

¹⁰           Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”( Ex3:4,7-10)

Moses resisted God, gave every excuse in the world why he was not qualified.

“O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” (Ex4:10)

But God, who does not call the qualified but qualifies the called, convinced Moses that all he needed was His presence. Moses recapitulated and took up the gauntlet and went back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh with what God said, “Let My people go.” 

Moses’ purpose was resisted, not only by Pharaoh but even by his own people. God displayed signs and wonders in Egypt culminating in the death of the first born in each household before Pharaoh recapitulated to let God’s people go. Moses fulfilled his vision. He took them out Bondage. 

³⁰   So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

The Exodus

³¹           Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said.Ex12:30-31

Joshua had a purpose – to take them into the Promised Land. “He takes us out bondage, our encumbrance and hindrance to take us into our inheritance and dance. Joshua fulfilled His purpose like Jesus did.

Esther had a purpose – to avert what would have been the first holocaust, in Shushan the citadel, Persia, during the reign of King Ahasuerus. Mordecai was like the Holy Spirit-the guide, who counselled her during the contest for a new queen, which Esther won. He also revealed her purpose in the palace for such a time as that. “…who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”(Esther4:14)

Esther played ball and the Jews were preserved. She fulfilled her purpose. ( Esther7:3-10)

Nehemiah was burdened about Jerusalem, even though he was in a foreign land as an exile in a lucrative employment. He mourned, fasted and prayed when he learned about the broken down walls of Jerusalem.(Neh1:3-4)

God used him to answer his prayer as He gave him favour with the King, who became sympathetic to the cause, permitting him, not only to go and rebuild the wall, but gave him supplies and security.

. (Neh.2:3-9)

Nehemiah went back and commenced his purpose and despite much opposition, remained resolute until he completed rebuilding the wall in 52 days, to the glory of God. 

The Wall Completed

¹⁵   So the wall was finished…, in fifty-two days.Neh.6:15

And You, yes, YOU, reader; You under the sound of my voice, you have a purpose, a unique purpose. Unless you find that purpose, life will not have a true meaning for you. But if you have found that purpose, congratulations! Your life will find fulfilment if you are following that purpose, fulfilling that purpose and sold out to that purpose.

Friend, find your purpose. Pursue your purpose. Live a purpose driven life. Live before you die. 

If you do not have a personal relationship with God; if you are not born again, come and acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Without the Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing or knowledge and without the Life, there is no living. Invite Jesus Christ into your life and His Spirit will guide you into your purpose – your reason for being. Spend and be spent for that purpose and you will not only be fulfilled but have eternal incomparable rewards.

Live a Purpose -driven Life!

Let us pray

Father, I thank You for being born for such a time as this. I was born for a purpose, born for a reason. This reason shall not only be found but pursued and fulfilled to your glory. Your Spirit will guide me each step of the way to live Your dream, in the name of Jesus. Thank You, Lord, that my purpose is unique and fitting for me. I shall learn from others but not be a photo-copy of others. I am well-fitted for my purpose. Nothing will stop me from fulfilling my purpose, in Jesus’ Name.