PURPOSE IN IT ALL

Who (our Lord) hath saved us,

and called us with a holy calling,

not according to our works, but

according to his own purpose

and grace, which was given us

in Christ Jesus before the

world began

II Timothy 1:9

They tell us in news reports today that suicides are at an all time high. Such events aren't limited to any particular status, race or culture. When one takes in hand a gun, knife or poison of some kind to take one's life, they would say there are no reasons to go on living. For them, all purpose for living seems to be gone.

The days were long and hard at the time. I'm not prone to depression, but I was there...full blown. I knew I wasn't where God wanted me to be. For six years I had lived and worked in a Christian Center in the middle of an inner city area. I was more than disappointed in myself. I wasn't all for the Lord I knew He wanted me to be and I knew I wanted to be. I felt at the time I had lost all sense of purpose being where I was. I had first gone there with stars in my eyes, that I was going to make a difference in lives. That was rather pompous on my part, forgetting that only God can do that. Bottom line was, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. God had patiently waited for me to wake up and join Him in fulfilling His purpose for my life. I soon left there and a remarkable new life opened up to me. In fact, within the year, I became Brian's wife.

We often think in terms of young people finding their spiritual way regarding God's plan and purpose for their lives. We have seen young people go forward at the end of a church service to rededicate their lives to God's will. We rejoice in those moments, but often feel that those moments are reserved for the young only.

What makes us think that even in the aging process, God isn't quite as interested in our recognizing His purpose for our lives like when we were young. We may often step back and take the attitude, “What's done is done.” The above verse is for all ages. I've said in the past and probably more often than others want to hear that “Where there's a pulse, there's a purpose.”

Why are we still here “above ground?” It's because God isn't finished with us and still has purpose for every day He gives us. Our relationship with Him must be fresh and vibrant. That contributes to our being usable for God in ways we can't imagine. He wants our lives to count, to have meaning and to be spiritually contagious in the lives of others. No matter our ages, God still has purpose for each of us.

Dear Father, help us to stay focused on Your will and way for our being. Keep us close and usable for Your honor and glory. Help us to recognize value in being close to You, serving You where You have placed us. Thank You for giving us real purpose in living. In Jesus' precious name...Amen