Purpose

Carolyn Lewis
Posted 10/2/20

“What’s your purpose for me today, God?

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Purpose

Posted

“What’s your purpose for me today, God? What can I do for You today?” 

That’s my prayer many days in my Quiet Time with God in the morning. I usually have a list of things I want to accomplish in a day, but first I really want to know if God has something for me to do. 

He has answered that prayer over the years, and in some pretty exciting ways. And somehow He also managed to give me time to do what else needed to be done. By praying about it in the morning, it makes me more aware during the day to watch for things or people that come into my life unexpectedly.

We are all created uniquely different and are created to fill a specific need and purpose that God has for us. He puts people into our lives who we need, but who also need us. If we tell God we are available to Him to be used today, we will be more aware of watching for it. Awareness is important, as is availability and obedience. Those are important qualifications I need in order to serve God. 

John 16:15 says that He chose us to go and bear fruit and He will give us what we need to do or say. We are right where we are supposed to be. God will guide me, direct my path, and tell me what to say or do. 

I need to remember that as I go about my day and be open to encounters with people. It may be just a word of encouragement or a kindness you can offer someone, but those things are important to God.

Just as we can be used in another’s life, God can use them in our life. Not all my encounters with people are loving and encouraging, there are some people in my life that are very abrasive, and some of those have even been in my family. God has used some people as sandpaper in my life, to smooth and soften me. I’ve had many opportunities to practice forgiveness and patience, and some of those lessons took a long time. And some lessons I had to learn more than once! 

I have always been an introvert and loved to study and write, but I never desired to be out in front of people. Years ago, I was encouraged to begin speaking for Christian Women’s Club and really didn’t want to but said I would pray about it. I was reading in Exodus chapters 3 and 4 at the time, where God was asking Moses to go speak to Pharaoh and Moses said no. 

God said, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now, then, go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to say.” 

I stopped and prayed about that and ended up speaking to a group of more than 100 my very first time. That started me on a new journey in life that is still going on more than 41 years later. 

I can’t tell you the blessings I have received over the years by speaking about my life with Jesus in seven states and meeting thousands of women, but I realize that if I don’t do what God calls me to do He will send someone else and they will get the blessing. There is no greater joy in life than doing what God calls you to do, it is awesome. Sometimes it is scary, but it is still awesome.

Sometimes we do what we think God wants us to do and yet we don’t think it turned out right. I have learned over the years that I simply have to do my part, it’s God’s responsibility how it turns out! 

Some prayers take months or years to be answered, but the timing isn’t up to us. Some people and circumstances take more time than we realize. God has many things to work out before He can accomplish His purpose, but our purpose is just to do the next thing He gives us to do and trust Him with it. 

I’ve learned that age doesn’t matter in having a purpose for God. I’ve seen him use one of my great-granddaughters in the life of our family when she was very young, and I see people in their nineties bringing people to the Lord. Age is no excuse. 

My mother used to say as she approached 90 that she had no purpose anymore. No matter what I said, she didn’t believe she had a purpose for God. She had great Bible knowledge and lots of life experiences, but that didn’t seem enough. 

I don’t think she was aware of how God used her, especially in our family over the years. She had a great deal of love and kindness to give to the family and was a very good woman.

I truly believe God has given each one of us a gift to use for His purposes. No matter what age we are or what condition we are in, we are important to Him! Remember, God has prepared us in advance for whatever He calls us to do. He can use our life experiences, a Bible verse, or the ability He gave us to help in other ways. 

Be a Triple A Christian: Aware, Available, and Adaptable to each circumstance He gives us. And always be obedient. Remember, if you say no, He can use somebody else, but you will miss the blessing! And expect the unexpected! It’s a joyful journey!