Purpose Edition (January/February 2019)

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