Purpose Edition (January/February 2019)
We've barely made it into the New Year and still people are hyped about resolutions. With these often comes talk of PURPOSE. It's what drives us to make those resolutions. It's what gets us out of bed in the morning. But what happens if you don't know what your purpose is? Or if your purpose seems to fail or change? This issue is for you 'cuz we're talking PURPOSE.
We've barely made it into the New Year and still people are hyped about resolutions. With these often comes talk of PURPOSE. It's what drives us to make those resolutions. It's what gets us out of bed in the morning. But what happens if you don't know what your purpose is? Or if your purpose seems to fail or change? This issue is for you 'cuz we're talking PURPOSE.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2019</strong> OHBELOVEDONE.COM OPEN & CLOSE<br />
Many times we wonder, “Lord, w h y<br />
am I here? What is it that you<br />
would have me to do in my life?”<br />
We all have those moments, and after that we<br />
may think that any sort of “nudge” or “feeling”<br />
in our hearts or minds are maybe directing<br />
what is our purpose in life.<br />
Some just throw open their Bible, pick a verse,<br />
and think that is their ultimate purpose. I<br />
would notadvise doing that, for the reason<br />
that you could open to a passage which could<br />
be something as non-applicable to your life as<br />
Job 19:17 (NIV): “My breath is offensive to<br />
my wife; I am loathsome to my own family.”<br />
Rather, don’t stress about it! We may not<br />
yet know what God wants us to do in our<br />
individual lives. Sometimes it’s as clear as<br />
day. For example, you may have a sensitive,<br />
caring side that always comes out when others<br />
are hurting or in pain, physical or mental.<br />
Maybe then it’s more clear that being a doctor,<br />
therapist, or counselor would be your obvious<br />
purpose in life. The same would be if you had a<br />
knack for baking, could decorate creatively and<br />
beautifully, have a steady hand and a creative<br />
side. Perhaps then your purpose in life would<br />
be to be a baker or a chef of some sort.<br />
I was talking to my mom a few years ago about<br />
what I was going to do in life. I was unsure,<br />
believe it or not, about my writing career.<br />
I didn’t know exactly if it was the right path<br />
for me to take. She said, however, to just<br />
take that step of faith: that if this was<br />
something that I was interested in—that I<br />
wanted to do—then to go for it and move down<br />
that path, and that God would open and close<br />
the “doors” for me along the way. If I wasn’t<br />
meant to do that thing, then God would close<br />
the “doors” for me to do it. He will always<br />
guide us along the way. We don’t ever have to<br />
be afraid about our future.<br />
Psalm 31:15a says,<br />
“My times are in Your hands.”<br />
But that doesn’t mean you should just sit by<br />
and wait until God brings an opportunity your<br />
way. Just because things may not be clear right<br />
now doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything.<br />
First, search God’s word. As I was talking<br />
about at the beginning of this article, don’t<br />
just flip open to a random page and take that<br />
as your life verse. Really search the Word.<br />
Find relevant verses to your situation and<br />
evaluate your interests and abilities in light of<br />
what it says. A couple of good questions to ask<br />
yourself are, “How can my interests or abilities<br />
ultimately glorify God and show others His<br />
love? How can I keep God as the main focus<br />
of my career?”<br />
Psalm 119:105 says:<br />
“Your word is a lamp for my feet,<br />
a light on my path.”<br />
God’s Word is the lamp that sheds light on our<br />
path. Have you ever tried walking or driving<br />
down a street when there are no street lamps?<br />
This has happened to me previously when I<br />
was in New Brunswick, Canada, and let me<br />
tell you, when there are no street lamps, it is<br />
pitch black outside! The same is when you<br />
don’t search God’s Word properly for answers.<br />
You’ll be in pitch black in terms of what you<br />
should do until His Word “shines,” so to speak,<br />
that light on your decision-making.<br />
Through it all, we need to remember the most<br />
important purpose in life: spreading the gospel<br />
to others and telling them of God’s salvation<br />
for those who turn away from their sin and<br />
trust Him as their Savior. This focus can help<br />
us use our careers, talents, and hobbies for the<br />
glory of God. As the One Who gave us these<br />
gifts, and the One Who saved us, He deserves<br />
all of the praise and honor. So are you ready?<br />
Let’s use the command from Jesus in Matthew<br />
28:19-20 to spur us on.<br />
meet the<br />
author<br />
Olivia Nickerson is a high-school student, growing writer, and a Christian saved by grace. She loves Lindt chocolate,<br />
being an aunt to little Jasper, spending time with her family and friends, and dreaming. Besides writing, Olivia<br />
loves spending time with her family and friends in almost any way, playing board games, sports, and music.<br />
OH BELOVED ONE | 16