I met a guy not too long ago, that wrecked me. He asked me how I was doing. I gave my usual answer “Living the dream.” He got really somber, which is not like him. He said you do not know how lucky you are. Now this guy has a six figure income and his wife does well. They drive new cars, have a great house, and live really well. At the time, I lived in a 2nd story apartment, drove a truck with 180k miles on it, and lived within my means. He had more money and stuff than I did, but what he longed for was purpose.
I meet men all the time in this same place. They make a good living, have toys, but lack purpose. I believe God designed deep inside of us is a need for transcendence. I just lost some of you… sorry… Deep in us is a desire to contribute to something greater than us. We love movies like Braveheart, stories like the firemen on 9/11, and heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. We aspire to be apart of something that really matters. Because if you kill the massive buck, catch the whopper of a fish, buy that truck, go on that vacation, or have a bank balance of that number, it will be like the quarterback, who after winning the superbowl, in his hotel room says “was that it?”
1 Corinthians 12:6-7 Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful.
God has given you a gift that shows the world who He is. That gift is not benefit you but to benefit others. The purpose is bigger than you, but is not about you. I have watched people for the last 15 years discover their purpose and watched their lives get set on fire as they use their gift. I meet people who are like “where do you need me to serve”, and can I say it is the wrong question. Now we do need to meet needs, but it is about using your gift to serve God and other people. If you are not good at it you shouldn’t do it. I should never sing or play an instrument on stage. I am really bad at it and if I did it I would take away the opportunity from someone who needs to do it.
So how do you discover purpose? First get in God’s presence, and find conviction. You might find conviction for kids, single mom, or greeting people at church. Now some of you are asking is greeting that important. YES!!!!! People come to our churches all the time broken and do not feel like God loves them and they don’t belong. I know people whose lives have been transformed by Jesus because their walls came down when someone did not just say welcome as they entered but made them feel like they belonged and mattered to God! So get in God’s presence and find purpose birthed in conviction. Then go try something, not where there is the greatest need but where your gifts can show who God is and helps others.
So right now ask God why you are here and what His purpose is for you!
Helping people live a better story
Brandon Sereg
www.thevibrant.church
