What is your purpose?

Why are you here?

I’m not asking what you do for a living or the goals you have. I’m wanting to know what your PASSION is, what drives you?

Goals, strategies, and life-plans are all the rage but that is not the same as what can “drive” us.

I remember years ago, the shocking way Rick Warren chose to begin his book “Purpose Driven Life”. The very first sentence read, “Life is not about you.”

Well!!

That’s not the nicest, nor may I say the smartest, way to start a book when you want people to buy it and make you loads of money. But that wasn’t his intention in the first place. He really wanted to tell people what they NEEDED to hear, not necessarily what they WANTED to hear.

In other words, the truth.

What is more important than ourselves?

Rick Warren was hitting on the notion of “What is more important than ourselves?”. His book went on to explain that our purpose comes from God Himself.

I see an example of this described by Paul in Philippians 3:12.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

This explanation is what comes to my mind as I read about the life of John the Baptist. He was a man of purpose! He seemed to know why he was here and what was most important about his time given.

John 1:15-18,

John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John was a force to be reckoned with. It seemed he was not afraid of anything or anyone. He had a holy boldness, passion if you will.

I think John knew what Christ had taken hold of him for. And really, it is the same exact purpose for us today.

What could be the one universal purpose for all of us?

It actually has two components.

1) Knowing Christ  – a passionate perspective

2) Making Him Known – a passionate purpose

John “testified ” in verse 15. No one is called to “testify” without first-hand knowledge. Because John knew intimately who Jesus was, he understood the MAGNITUDE of what that meant for mankind! He described the grace upon grace that is ours through Jesus Christ, the glorious balance of grace and truth, the priceless revelation of an Infinite, Eternal God being made known through the exact representation of His Son.

John KNEW Jesus…….and it utterly thrilled him!

Therefore, he was passionate about proclaiming what he knew.

He was not the only one who responded in such a way. Once there was a Samaritan woman with a disreputable lifestyle, yet when she met Christ and realized His worth, she could not help but run back to her village to make Him known to all the others.

Even though it meant risking ridicule as she described how Jesus knew all about her sin, she caught a glimpse of the glorious redemption possible, not just the condemnation she was probably used to.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.

And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

What is our greatest opportunity?

To know Christ, to be known by Him, is the greatest opportunity for us all. Share on X

When someone truly sees Christ for the value He is to them, they can’t help but want to testify about it, but it doesn’t stop there. The testimony becomes more of a proclamation because of the potential at hand.

To know Christ, to be known by Him is the greatest opportunity for us all.

That is why when a person begins to understand this, they can’t help but CRY IT OUT with a passionate plea to “come and see” for others.

What does a passionate perspective turn into?

Passionate perspective turns into passionate purpose.

Dear friend, do YOU know Christ? Do you know the most wonderful truth of all your life? He offers redemption to all who will “come and see” if they will agree with Him about their sin, accepting salvation through the grace and truth He offers.

Take it from the woman at the well, and from me, you will not feel “exposed”.

You will feel free!!

The greatest thing I ever did was “come and see”. And now I can’t help but proclaim “This is the One”!

May you know Him well enough so that making Him known becomes your all-consuming purpose!

May you know Him well enough, so that making Him known becomes your all-consuming purpose! Share on X

 

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