Do You Know Your Purpose?

"When purpose is not known, misuse is inevitable" -Walter Charles.  It's a simple but powerful quote I've borrowed many times. Along those lines, I want to share with you a couple points of a message that an evangelist named Elder LeBaron Hedgemon from Meridian, MS brought to the youth this weekend at First Cathedral Church. He titled his message: "I Can See Clearly Now."

He began by saying you have to "See your life from a kingdom perspective" and to do so we need to see a few points clearly:

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   You have to see clearly your PURPOSE,
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   You have to see clearly your PARTNERS,
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  You have to see clearly your POSITION, and
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  You have to see clearly your PROMISE.

Now there's no way I can repeat the entire message to you in this forum, but there are a few thoughts on it I'd like to share with you. In fact it relates so well to my book, "Celebrating Men- Predator, Protector or Confused" and a relative passage that also comes to mind, "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law." (Prov. 29:18, NKJV)

If you don't have revelation of your purpose, you won't hook up with the right parnters, you won't have understanding of your current position or season and you won't obtain God's promise(s). Having said all that and believing the latter part of the verse quoted above, "happy is he..," it still isn't easy.

Now not knowing your purpose leads not only to misuse as Walter says, but often to disaster. Even simply knowing your purpose is not enough, but it's a start. It is as the AA and multi-step rehab programs for addictive behavior teach, "you have to first acknowledge you have a problem." In knowing your purpose, that's only the first step, but the most pivotal one. If you don't know your purpose you roam through life without aim, or it's like going on a long trip without a map or a plan on how to get there.

I really like how Elder Hedgemon outlined the process. There are partners along the way who work with you in different seasons of your life. You have to know who these people are; some are quite unlikely and even unwelcome. He used the example of how even Judas was a partner in the plan of God to facilitate the salvation of man through Christ Jesus. How does that saying go, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer..." or something like that? He also insightfully used the illustration of Peter, one of Jesus' closer disciples, as being a partner with the enemy at one given time when he tried to stop Jesus from going to the cross. When you know your purpose you're alert to those who come in and out of your life. Who's consciously or unconsciously partnering with God's plan for your life?

Then what position are you currently in? The journey is part of the developmental process to fulfilling your purpose. The journey is part of your purpose.

If we get in alignment with God's purpose for our life His promise is: Life more abundantly and eternal life. Who doesn't want a more abundant life or a happy eternal life?

As I write this blog, I'm reminded of my book, Celebrating Men. The focus in the book is primarily on men, of course, but the course I recount is applicable to all. God has a purpose for your life.

**You can check out my website for further info on the book, Celebrating Men at http://www.bnilesbooks.com/.