On Purpose

On Purpose

If you’re anything like me then you might occasionally find yourself reflecting on how you’ve got to where you are in life and if you’re living on purpose.  It’s inevitable that everyone will experience, at least to some degree, what it’s like for the waves of life to carry you somewhere where you didn’t intend to be.  However, our awareness of our God-given purpose will help right the ship sooner rather than later and allow us to get back on track so that we’re living more productive, purpose filled lives.  Many think that the more heavenly minded you are, the less earthly good you will be.  However, Paul would disagree with that based on what he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Colossians 3:1-4.  This is in The Message translation:

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

We’re told to look up and get our eyes off of the things going on right in front of us.  We need to be alert to what is going on around Jesus because that is where the action is.  We too often compartmentalize Jesus or give Him a certain place in our schedule or lives; when really He should be at the center of everything we’re doing so that all of the action and everything else going on is peripheral to Him.  The best way that we can keep living on purpose is to keep church (the church) as a central part of our lives since that is Christ’s body on the earth.  The local church is where your purpose lies whether you know it or not, and the only way to live out your purpose is to stay connected to where it’s found.