devotional
Doing The Work
Doing the work in the context of fulfilling your purpose in life is portrayed in the life of Jesus. When praying to God toward the end of his days on earth, he was able to say, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4, NASB)
Inevitably, we will all stand accountable to our Creator at the end of our days on this earth. We must balance the joy of living with the wisdom to know that we have been placed in this particular century for “…such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14b NASB)
God, in His wisdom, did not create us with the capability to know what our life span would be; but He has wisely instructed us to know that we have all been assigned a number of days. In his season of severe trials, Job declares the finality of our lifespan on earth:
“Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass…” (Job 14:5 NASB)
If we take our cues from Jesus, He not only taught us how to live a godly and fruitful life, but that His work on this earth was to glorify God. We know that in His final days Jesus clarified God’s assignment by declaring in John 17:
- that all that God had given Him were given eternal life, that they may know God, the only true God and Jesus Christ (vs 2-3)
- the Words that were given Him from God, were given and received by His followers (vs 8)
- His followers understood that He came forth from God (vs. 8)
- That God would keep His followers (vs 12)
God has a good plan for our lives. When we choose to keep Him first, knowing Him and discovering His will for our lives becomes a delight through the highs and lows of life. When our hearts are solely devoted to fulfilling His will, His favor abounds.
“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4, NASB)
Let’s live on purpose!
Letting Go
Fulfilling our purpose can get complicated at times as we move through seasons of life that inadvertently take us off track in fulfilling our destiny. During a demanding and impressionable season in my life (during my early thirties), I had a moment of insight about my future and felt compelled to pause and take the time to reflect on and pray about the path that I had chosen and of which made sense to me to be on. The nagging question that I could not answer at the time; where my priorities God’s priorities for my life and was I on the right path towards accomplishing His purpose?
What I discovered through prayer and seeking God’s will was a clarity that would guide the projection of all my major life decisions from that time to the present. It brought me to a place of surrender, of letting go of what my limited perspective could bring when measured up against the wisdom of God.
To give oneself up to or willingly yield your life to the power of another is what it means to surrender, and as a Christian, we have been given this choice by a gracious and loving God who desires the very best for our lives. He knows how limited our understanding is in the pursuit of fulfilling the purpose that He has assigned to our lives; and He also knows that we lack the wisdom to know how.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Letting go of your life as an act of surrender towards fulfilling God’s purpose places you in a position of strength with an eye towards eternity. This one sacred act of surrender sets you apart from the worldly focused battles for achieving temporal victories that are built on temporal circumstances to a position that is built upon the solid foundation of Christ that will withstand any and all adversity that comes your way.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
I believe that its in the heart of human nature to want to end life well during our time on this earth, and in order for that to happen, we need the wisdom of God to know how.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
Don’t waste another minute living life without Him, let it go!
Photography | Pixabay
loretta j. willis, author 