Today's Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11
What is the meaning of purpose? Well, according to an online dictionary, purpose (noun) means ‘the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists’— a pretty straight forward definition. Many have wondered, is there is a purpose for man? Is there a God-given purpose? Were we created for a unique reason?
The Bible gives us a clear answer to this. God proclaims in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” This text implies that God thinks and plans ahead for us. But what is that plan? How do we know it? And is it about you?
Jeremiah’s Purpose
The book of Jeremiah starts at the very beginning of Jeremiah’s life. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Here we see God specifically telling Jeremiah what his purpose is, God has been planning for Jeremiah even before he was born. These two verses (Jeremiah 1:5 and Jeremiah 29:11), has been used so often when Christians talk about God’s purpose for our lives. However, the idea of having been created with purpose has lost some of its essence. Allow me to elaborate.
If we evaluate Jeremiah 1:5 again and zoom in on the last portion of the verse “and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nation” we would notice something very interesting about what God called Jeremiah to do. God called Jeremiah to be a ‘prophet unto the nations‘. From this, we can understand that Jeremiah’s purpose did not involve world or mere human gratification but his God-given purpose was to be a messenger to God’s people.
A Purpose-filled Life
Psalms 139:14 tells us “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” We were made or created. If we look at anything that was made by a creator or inventor, such as a scissor or a lamp, we can see that it was designed for a specific function. So, we as God’s creation was designed for specific functions. Our entire body speaks to this concept. The heart and lungs were designed to work together to provide oxygen to our body. Our digestion was created to break down food and our Kidneys were made to dispose of waste. Everything has it’s a function and works with other parts of the body to fulfil its purpose of keeping us alive.
All of nature works in harmony, serving, giving and receiving from one another. Therefore, as we begin to inquire, ‘What is my purpose?’, we must begin to also ask the question, ‘How was I designed to serve?’ What gifts or talents has God enriched me with for me to serve others? Because guess what….your purpose isn’t about you.
Serving Others
It’s not about getting rich or owning fancy stuff. Your God-given purpose is about how you can serve others. If we use Jeremiah as an example, we can see clearly how he was tasked to serve others. Jeremiah devoted his entire life to the cause of sharing the message God had for his time at that time
Was he always happy doing it? Of course not! At one point Jeremiah was so frustrated that he cried out to God “O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.” He questioned his existence and purpose.
Jeremiah’s life shows that God has a plan for His people. God has an overall plan and also has a plan for each individual. He wants us to do amazing things, not just for our benefit but to show those around us who God is by our lifestyle and to encourage others to serve this awesome, loving and caring God.
Prayer For Today
I praise you for your lovingkindness towards me. You are so caring that you created me with a specific purpose. Help me, Oh Lord to serve you with all my heart. Help me to see the needs of others and act out of love rather than selfishness. Amen.
