We were made for a purpose!

Luke 13:31-35

Just then some Pharisees came up and said, “Run for your life! Herod’s on the hunt. He’s out to kill you!” Jesus said, “Tell that fox that I’ve no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I’m busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I’m wrapping things up. Besides, it’s not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets, abuser of the messengers of God! How often I’ve longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen, Her brood safe under her wings— but you refused and turned away! And now it’s too late: You won’t see me again until the day you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of God.’”

Food for thought!

What would you do if someone came and told you to quit your job, your family, your mission, your purpose in life? This is what they told Jesus:“Run for your life! Herod’s on the hunt. He’s out to kill you!” Jesus didn't and couldn't go, because he knew the purpose of his life.

As Viktor Frankl reminds us, man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life. More than to live by, man needs something to live for, and if need be even to die for. This something may be a person, a thing, an idea, a situation, or just a cause. Unfortunately, sometimes we have enough to live by but nothing to live for; we have the means to live by but not the meaning to live for.

Like Jesus, we need to know our “why” of life; what we live for; God created us for some reason, some purpose, some mission. And God equipped us the way he did with talents and abilities because of our purpose in life. 

Jesus knew when and how he was to reach his goal, and could not let anybody stop him; not even king Herod. He said about him, “Tell that fox that I’ve no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I’m busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I’m wrapping things up. Jesus was unstoppable in fulfilling the purpose of his life. 

Our purpose of life is the standard we use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren’t. We simply ask, “Does this activity help me fulfill one of God’s purposes for my life?” Without a clear purpose we have no foundation on which to base decisions, allocate our time, and use our resources. Without a clear purpose, we will tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures, and our mood at that moment. 

People who don’t know their purpose try to do too much—and that causes stress, fatigue, and conflict. It is impossible to do everything people want you to do. You have just enough time to do God’s will. If you can’t get it all done, it means you’re trying to do more than God intended for you to do (or, possibly, that you’re watching too much television).

Knowing our purpose gives meaning to our life. We were made for a purpose and meaning. When our life has meaning, we can bear almost anything; without it, nothing is bearable.

Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope. In the Bible, many different people expressed this hopelessness. Isaiah complained, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.” (Isaiah 49:4); Job said, “My life drags by—day after hopeless day” (Job 7:6); and “I give up; I am tired of living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense.” (Job 7:16). 

The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose. Purpose is as essential to our life as air and water. We need purpose to cope.