Still on the subject of purpose, I wrote in the previous post that knowing and fulfilling your purpose starts with knowing God. You must have a relationship and be in constant fellowship with Him. Knowing your identity must precede knowing your purpose. How to know the real you is by knowing God, because you were born of Him. You cannot have a purpose outside God. Colossians 1:16- For BY HIM, ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible,whether thrones or dominions or principalities. ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM.
I usually laugh when someone thinks he can know or fulfill his purpose outside God. He preordained a purpose, and then made you to fulfill it. There are a lot of misconceptions about purpose, I will correct a few in this post;
1. Purpose is not passion. A lot of us are quick to assume that whatever we are passionate about is our purpose. Nah sister! That you can sing well does not necessarily mean you have been called to be a singer, having a passion to preach or loving the idea of pastoring does not mean you have been called to be one. That you have a talent to draw does not mean you have been called to be an artist. Passion is not purpose, but purpose always produce passion. For example, I have been singing in choir since I was a teenager, I thought everything about me was just singing until I was called to teach. I had never had the passion in that direction, the auction came when I received the calling.
2. Purpose is not only the five fold ministry. That I use myself as an example for ministry does not mean purpose is all about ministry. However, everyone has been called to ministry but not everyone is called into the five fold ministry. Ephesians 4:11- And He Himself gave SOME(not all) to be apostles, some prophets, some EVANGELISTS, and some pastors and some teachers. (Notice the word ‘some’ , not ‘all’) but everyone has been called into the ministry of reconciliation, preaching the gospel(Mark 16:15- and He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature).
The day you accepted Christ was the day you received this ministry, 2Corinthians 5:18- Now all things are of God who has reconciled the world to Himself through Jesus Christ and HAS GIVEN US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. This is regardless of your position or profession, as long as you have been saved, you have a ministry to fulfill. It is the ministry of reconciliation, preaching the gospel of Christ. This is your main purpose in life.
3. A profession can never be your purpose. Hol’ up, I know you have a contrary residual knowledge about this, but really, there is no such thing as God has called me to be a banker, or a doctor… these are only platforms to fulfill the main purpose. Professions are platforms not purpose.
4. Your past can never be your message, it can only be a testimony. I remember when I was starting out ‘ The Complete Woman’ vision, someone asked me, what’s my selling point? Well, he didn’t ask put the question like that, I paraphrased. He said, most women that have this type of ministry had suffered one abuse or another, that eventually became their message. Well, within me I said even if I had one(of which everyone does), that won’t be my message still, Christ is The message, our past victory can only be a testimony. Your past only signifies that God is not limited by it. The gospel we preach is Christ, He defines our experiences. Our experience is not the gospel. Get this right especially if you have been called to preach. Don’t misapprehend me, your testimony can encourage others to believe but that you don’t have one does not mean you don’t have a purpose.
5. Don’t always expect the spectacular and miss the SUPERNATURAL, a lot of us like to wait for Saul’s kind of experience,on his way to Damascus, thinking that is the only way we would know God’s purpose, you are always looking for a sign, like a mighty thunder from heaven or a big man in white would appear and tell you this is what God has called you to do, or Balaam’s experience of his horse telling him what to do. Hey babe! Calm down, Yes,God speaks like that sometimes , not all the time. He could give you a knowing through the inward witness or show you from His Word what you have been called to do. Don’t condition your heart in a particular way for God to speak, stop looking out for signs, Just flow with God per time. (Wow! The last two lines are rhymes,*winks*)
A lot of us have never heard God or obey Him in any matter but you are so keen on hearing Him on purpose, well , it’s a good place to start. As much as you would hear Him in big matters, He would have spoken to you about small matters.
6. Success and fulfillment are not the same. Your passion can make you successful but your purpose will bring fulfillment. I am a physiotherapist, I can reach the peak of my career and be best in My field, that is success, but I know something in me would still still be crying out for expression, now that is the price I’ld pay for not fulfilling purpose. That unsatisfactory feeling, a vacuum that can only be filled by being at the centre of God’s will, doing what He wants me to do- purpose.
TO BE CONTINUED…
