Purpose
I believe within the heart of all man there is a deep place that desires to fulfill purpose - the real purpose that we are here on earth for. I believe this is en-grafted into us and our DNA. We will never escape it. We desire to have a meaningful life.
What am I here for?
I was standing under a shady tree one day in Port Vila, Vanuatu, waiting for a taxi and I asked a group of 5 to 8 year olds what they wanted to be. I was amazed at the enthusiasm when they straight out said I'm going to be a doctor, another a lawyer, another the prime minister, another an accountant and then there was a pilot. All highly qualified professions.
If an 8 year old showed that much zest and hope in life, then why does that dream die? What happened to that enthusiasm for life? Where did that excitement die? What snuffs out the dreams of our lives so we just merely exist?
One of the greatest things that has happened in my life is the re-awakening of the excitement of doing the ongoing dreams in my heart. The child-likeness to believe anything is possible again. The ability to step up in faith, conquering fear of failure to have another go. To do something different.
I believe that we all have a purpose, a vision, and that childlike-given dream in life to fulfill.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no prophetic vision, the people perish.
I enjoy teaching Gods word that restores and brings life to people who are willing to listen and learn. To see them transformed, with hope in their heart rising, as I share the truths I have been taught. This brings them to life again as they discover their own purpose.
You will also declare a thing and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.
Job 22:28
There is Purpose In Honour
Purpose can come in meeting and honoring an older person who can mentor you. Meeting someone who has already trail blazed through situations and experiences can be a great help that will cut years of struggle for your life. A true mentor has your interest at heart. They can download wisdom from the Word and teach you things before they happen. They give you wisdom without you paying the price of it. They can encourage and guide you so that you can achieve much more in a shorter amount of time. After all, why should it take someone 30 years to go through all the trials, pains and hurts of life again when it could be achieved in 5 years!
Proverbs 4:7: Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her and she will promote you...
Where do we get wisdom from? Wisdom is the discerning of what is most proper, just and useful and most conducive to prosperity or happiness, the right use or exercise of knowledge, the choice of the best means to accomplish a thing.
We get wisdom from an experienced person who has gone before us and learnt from their mistakes, and successfully achieved what they set out to accomplish.
The Purpose of Seasons
To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, and a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted... Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
To what shall we liken the kingdom of God or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds of the earth but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and shoots out large branches... Mark 4:30-32
A little thing might not be so insignificant as we think. A small seed (an action, kind word or deed) that we plant, can lead to an amazing result. Hearing God and doing what we hear can be a small decision, but He knows the best timing and it can lead to amazing results that would normally take us 2, 5 or 10 years to accomplish, or perhaps we never get to it on our own.
The right action at the right time (season) can catapult us years ahead and lead to a more abundant lifestyle. The truth gives us these opportunities.
The Purpose We Found In Giving.
We were on holiday in Port Vila around the 2nd lagoon, when we heard beautiful music in the bush of banana palms, coconuts and other tropical plants. We went to investigate where the music was coming from and walked along the lagoon over a small bridge, down a dirt track into the bush where we found a large building built of grey blocks with no window, just holes in the walls and a roof but no ceiling. It upset me to see a building like that not finished, being used to represent God's house. I met the Pastor outside under a large leafy tree and we offered to buy some paint to paint the inside to make it look better. I believe the desire we had to help fix the building led to a great purpose. This was the beginning of many trips to the Republic of Vanuatu, meeting wonderful people and teaching on many of their islands which we continue to do to this day. I believe that, that want to help fix up a building led me straight into an amazing purposeful life. We have had so many adventures going to different Islands-teaching, helping, and blessing people making every trip joyfully worthwhile.
The Purpose of Doing Our Best
Our work place is our training ground to learn and experience strategies, procedures, skills, to overcome situations and circumstances that can come against us in life. It is a honing of our attitudes and abilities and a coming to reality of what we can and cant do revealing our limitations. Doing our best in everything that we do, enables us to reach our boundaries. It's only then that we either break through, or give up. Doing our best causes us to reach forward for answers and this changes our destiny. The Word of God can give us amazing answers to the best pathways and give us solutions and wisdom to know what to do at the right time. Doing the best we can causes us to search for answers, changing our thinking, which changes our actions, which changes our habits, which changes our character, which changes our destiny.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows that shall he also reap…
Galatians 6:7
These are just a few of my later testimonies. I have found these three verse to be part of the foundation of my life that has prospered us with amazing results of blessing in our lives - far above what we could ever have imagined. The truth of these verses brings abundant life when they are acted upon.