Created for More

“Mom…What is the purpose of life?” my son asked clear out of the blue one day last week. As I looked into his eyes, seeing the seriousness of his expression, I knew he was asking more than a rhetorical question. He was at an age where he needed to hear a truth that would permeate his heart and guide his future steps.

I think we’ve all asked this question at some point in our lives. Maybe you wonder this even now. I remember growing up and having all these plans for my life and so I pursued them. I went in a direction I thought would bring me to success and happiness. After all, that’s what the world says we should pursue, right? There’s nothing wrong with success and happiness, but what is success and happiness? So many people wander through life searching for it.  Some attain what they think is success, some feel happiness, and others feel it’s constantly out of their reach.

I believe the problem is, we’re asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, “What is the purpose of life?” The real question we should be asking is, “What is MY purpose?”

Colossians 1:16 says,

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

What does that mean…created by God and for God?

Each one of us were created by God and He didn’t just create us to live, eat, and die one day. He created us for more. He created us, so that our lives would bring glory and honor to Him. Understanding this, will open our eyes to a whole new way of living, and bring a fulfillment to our lives that nothing else could.

Imagine this with me if you will…

You’re a famous, world renown designer. You only create the most beautiful of things. One day you have a vision for this most intricate and beautiful table. It won’t be just any table, it will be a masterpiece; your best work ever. You take the time and care to finish ever detail to perfection and joyfully present your masterpiece to the world. It’s received well, except…instead of being used as a table, it is used as a chair. It wasn’t created to bear the weight of being a chair and so while it worked for some time, it eventually wobbled and after a while it broke. Now instead of thinking it was beautiful, people thought it was defective. This grieved you, because as it’s creator, you know that’s not what you created it for. It was never meant to bear the weight of being a chair, and its true beauty and value was not being seen. You knew how much more joy people would receive from it, had they understood it’s true purpose.

Now, I’m not trying to compare us to a table of course, but I wanted to paint a picture for us of being created by God, and not living out our true purpose.

God, the Creator of heaven and earth, created us; His perfect masterpiece for a very special purpose. Not understanding this, we go through life and it’s as if something is missing. There is an emptiness inside we can’t explain. Like everyone in the world, we strive for happiness and success the way the world says we should. We may even find it for a while, the ache going away temporarily; but then one day the things we try to keep it at bay no longer work anymore. Something is wrong. In our pursuit, we encounter things in life we were never meant to encounter. We bear things we were never meant to bear, and we become hurt and broken on the inside. The enemy would even have us think things like…” Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the defective one. Why do I feel this way inside?” The truth is, we were never meant to live this way – we were created for more.

That day, I told my son a truth that I learned years ago and I speak that truth over you: You were created for more. In my own quest, I threw myself into school and pursuing a career. I graduated college with honors and ready to begin my career. At the time, I was what the world said was successful. I had all these great opportunities in front of me, and yet, I was empty on the inside. I questioned, “What is the purpose of this all?” It seemed meaningless?  And that’s because life is more than living for ourselves. The God of all creation hand-crafted you and me for more. His plan is that our lives would glorify Him.

Matthew 5:16 says,

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

That means our lives are to show the world the beauty, the majesty and the power of God in such a way that others are drawn to know Him too. It means knowing God is in such a deep and personal way for ourselves, that we are then compelled by love to show others who He is too. There is no greater joy than fulfilling this purpose.  You may be a lawyer, a contractor, a nurse, a real estate agent, a full time mom, a manager at the store ….. or whatever else your occupation may be, but that’s not who you are. That’s just your personal platform to shine brightly for the Lord.

I know a dog groomer who prays for her clients and their pets when they come in. I know a surgeon and his wife who fill their office with scriptures and prayer and share about the Greatest Physician of all. I know an Uber driver who shares the good news with his passengers. I know a nurse who ministers God’s love to the patients she encounters each day. I know a mom who is teaching her kids who God is, so they can have their own personal relationship with him and truly understand their purpose. I know so many marketplace ministers living out their purpose each day by shining bright in their daily life, or by serving in their church so others can experience God in a greater way. When I understood this call for myself, my whole life changed. I saw each day filled with opportunities to shine bright for God and my empty heart became full.

If all this is new to you, I want to encourage you to get to know your Creator. Spend time with Him, read the Bible, go to church and learn who He is. God will show you who He is and who He created you to be. If you have known the Lord for a long time, I encourage you to press in deeper. My time with the Lord each day keeps me grounded and focused on my purpose. It can be so easy to lose sight of our purpose in this crazy world we live in, can’t it? Before we know it, that empty feeling is creeping back in. Living out our purpose becomes a natural overflow from our personal relationship with God. It’s not something we have to work at, it becomes who we are.

There are opportunities every day to shine bright for God. God says in Ephesians 2:10 says,

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

God will highlight the opportunities He’s already prepared for you as you seek Him. He will bring someone in your path, put someone on your heart to reach out to and present you with divine appointments. There are also many opportunities in the church to fulfill your purpose. Maybe you are a worshiper, have the gift of hospitality, a heart for the imprisoned, a call to the youth or children…. Step out into your calling and serve at your church. You can also be a light of hope and truth to your family, at your workplace, for your friends…wherever you go! How would we change the way we lived if we truly understood, “I am created for more”?  Surely, we would go about our days differently, and I believe each one of us would experience the joy of our salvation in a greater way.

The Lord gave me a revelation one day that transformed my life. Whenever I read David’s prayer in Psalm 51, verse 12 always stood out to me. What did David mean when He said, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” As I sought God, He showed me the truth. David had gotten off track in his life. He veered from the course God had for him and began living for himself. He was King. He had money, he had power, he had everything he could ever want or the world told him he could want, at the tips of his fingers…. And yet, at this point in his life he was broken. He was living outside of his true purpose and he felt the effect of this with every fiber of his being. He repented and cried out to God, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” And with that prayer, David made a change in his life. He turned his heart back to God and began to fulfill his purpose. David was created to be a worshiper, a man after God’s own heart, the Bible says. In returning to the Lord and living out his true purpose, great joy returned to him. God showed me that that the true joy of God’s salvation is understanding that we were created for more and living out that purpose.

When my son asked me this question, I shared these truths with him. It’s my heart’s desire that he would truly understand that He was created for more. I know this will cause him to live a focused, fulfilled and joyous life. This is my heart’s desire for my own life and for you too! So, my prayer today is that God would open our hearts and eyes to the full revelation of who He created us to be and show us each day how to live out our purpose with great joy. Father God, I pray that each day, we would know the true joy of your salvation in our lives. Amen. I know this a prayer God will answer because He is FAITHFUL!