Day 1/40: It All Starts With God

“...all things were created by Him and for Him”
Colossians 1:16b

How many days have I wasted wondering what my purpose is? I have read books, I have listened to “experts”, watched Oprah and Dr. Phil. That was all a waste. The only place to find the answer to my purpose is in the Bible. My Creator is the only one who can tell me why I was created- that seems obvious considering He is the one who made me! I was born by Him for His purpose. I was not created for me, for my purpose. It is sometimes very difficult to admit the world doesn’t revolve around me! Day 1 in The Purpose Driven Life tells us that “it is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny.” It is not through relationships, family, success at work, education, wealth, status but rather through God.

There are two options to discovering your purpose according to Warren: 1) speculation which is what most people chose, guessing what your purpose on earth is and 2) revelation which requires asking God for the purpose of our life.

My small group finished studying Ephesians last month and I feel everywhere I turn is a reminder of what we studied. Ephesians 1:11 gives us insights into our purpose (according to Warren there are a total of five purposes which God reveals to us in His Word, this verse in Ephesians tells us three purposes).

“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”


1. Our purpose is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. I was having a conversation with someone last night about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My church’s mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We were discussing how this works. I wish I had the answer for him however Rick Warren states he will help explain it later on so if you are in the same place as my friend I hope to give you the answer shortly. Personally, I don’t remember the exact moment I asked Christ into my life because I feel He has always been there. I do recall one time in middle school being at a church retreat and being overcome with emotion as I felt Christ working inside of me. That happened many more times on church trips though high school and Young Life camps and events. I think sometimes I put God to the side and at times where I was really listening I would let Him talk to me and work in me. That is part of my current journey...listening to God all the time. He truly is my best friend, my true Daddy.

2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought of him. He planned our purpose long before I was actually a baby on this earth, long before my parents or grandparents ever fell in love. He planned me, every hair on my head, the color of my eyes, everything about me he chose and beautifully created- which for me is very hard to accept. It is easy to see my flaws, all of them but to God I am perfect. I am a masterpiece to Him!

3. The purpose of your life fits into a larger cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity. It is not just about me. And it is not just about life on earth. My life has a cosmic purpose-a little difficult to wrap my brain around. My purpose is not for whatever the average life span, my purpose doesn’t end when my body stops functioning. Rather my purpose is for eternity!

How can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself? This is one area of my life where I have been working diligently. This life, this body is created by God and for His purpose. Just remembering that is a good place to start. Asking God to show me direction as to how I can best fulfill His purpose for me is of paramount importance to live a life I was created to live. And most importantly, learning to listen to Him. Wouldn’t it be nice if God would just give us a phone call, a text, an email in response to our prayers. I would even get on twitter if it meant hearing from God! Learning to listen for subtle responses to my prayers isn’t the easiest. Most people I know who are struggling to grow in their faith or who have difficulty believing state the reason is because they don’t hear God talk to them. From a past sermon at Brentwood United Methodist, God speaks to all of us, with every breath we take He speaks but we don’t usually listen. God is everywhere, in our everyday activities. We need to evaluate circumstances, our senses, our hearts, our souls, and spend time reflection to see how God is speaking to us.

Live intentionally.
Listen intently.


For anyone interested in doing some further reading, here are some verses to read which further solidify Ephesians 1:11...
Deuteronomy 4:20
Isaiah 25:1
Acts 13:48
Romans 8:28-30
Ephesians 1: 5, 9, 14, 18
Hebrews 6:17


For more information on the book: http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/AboutUs/AboutTheBook.htm