Confession 270: What's the Point?

“What’s the point?” 

 This is a question I find myself asking a lot.

I ask myself this while flipping through 200 + television stations I don’t care to watch, trying to avoid radio commercials and the K-Love pledge drive, reading non-fiction, marking my “March Madness” bracket, looking at my paycheck, and arguing with my 4 year old about why Cheez-Its are not a breakfast food.

 I’m really not an anal-retentive person.  I just like having a sense of purpose.  Lately, I’m finding that I am not the only one.

I think most of us are on a journey for purpose in a society that seems to be spinning wildly out of control.  We want to know that there is something big, grand, even noble being accomplished in our daily lives and work.  We want to feel that our presence means something, that we are doing something with our lives that makes a difference.

A few weeks ago, I went to a gathering where I had three conversations with women in three different walks of life about this search for purpose and meaning.

There was the  young professional wanting more than a corporate job could offer, the full-time  mother re-entering the workforce after spending several years at home raising her children, the new retiree wondering what a future without a “job” would look like.

The thing is, the situations these women face are not unique.  I have had countless conversations with women over the past few years about the search for meaning and purpose, most likely because I’ve been on that same search myself.

It seems like it’s something we’re all trying to figure out.

The truth is, we were created to live with purpose.  

God had a purpose when He created Adam and Eve in the Garden.

 He had a purpose for Abraham and Sarah when He called them out of Canaan.

 He had a purpose for the Israelites throughout their wilderness journey, their settlement, their exile and their return.

God had a purpose in sending Christ; a beautiful, glorious, powerful, unparalleled purpose which we celebrated again this Sunday.

Christ had a purpose when he commissioned the disciples, sending them forth to minister in his name.

And God still has a plan and a purpose for each one of His beloved children.

As Peter writes, “God has invited us to share in His wonderful goodness.” (2 Peter 1:4)  

But we have to do the hard work of honing in on that goodness of purpose God wants us to share.

Over the next few posts, I will explore some of the ways that we can discern purpose and make meaning in our lives.

I believe that God has given us the tools we need to live a purposeful and meaningful life fulfilling His mission and working toward furthering His kingdom.  

What we do with those tools is up to us, but I like what Peter goes onto say: “If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.” (2 Peter 1:8)

What we know about our Lord Jesus Christ will make our lives useful and meaningful.  Wow!  Try unpacking that one in a sentence or two!!

That’s not to say that people who do not believe in Christ cannot live purposeful and meaningful lives.  But, as a Christian, I believe that my center needs to be rooted in Christ in order for me, a child of God, to live a life of purpose and meaning.

And so, the journey continues…

I don’t have all the answers, and the ones I have now will change and evolve as my life continues on.  But God has been teaching me much over the past few years, and the quest for purpose and meaning seems to be a prevalent theme.

So, I’m exploring.

 And isn’t it just maddening in this world of instant access, news and results that God is so much more interested in our journey of exploration than the end result?

Blessings and Peace,
Sara