Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words | Much is being written these days about purpose—that is, about finding your personal reason for being on Planet Earth.  What does God want you to do with your life?

The apostle Paul was concerned about purpose as well.  He said that his desire was that he could lay hold of that purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of him (Philippians 3:12).

You may remember that before he was a believer, Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, when God stopped him in his tracks with a blinding light.  Paul was never the same after that.  He did a 180 degree turn and began to tell people about Jesus with all the same fervor that he had used to persecute believers. So, it’s logical that Paul would want to know why God brought about such a drastic change in his life.

Finding God’s purpose is, to me, both a challenge and a comfort. It’s a challenge because only God fully knows what that purpose is. I have many indications—what I’m good at, what I’m passionate about, what I’d be willing to do if I were never paid a penny for it. Even the circumstances of my life indicate God’s direction. But working out His purpose in our lives requires that we stay close to the Lord so that He can direct us.

Yet, endeavoring to fulfill God’s purpose is also comforting because you don’t have to fill anyone else’s shoes. Although He stretches us at times, God seldom asks us to do what we’re no good at. The way you fulfill God’s purpose doesn’t have to be important in the eyes of the world—just in God’s eyes. His purpose for you is individually designed. And He will reveal it one day at a time as you look to Him for guidance.

If you haven’t done so already, ask God today to help you lay hold of His purpose for your life. Then get ready for a life of fulfillment.