Dr. Ravi Zacharias said, “All the tiny little purposes become purposeful because your life itself has purpose. If you don’t have ultimate purpose then all these tiny little purposes become nothing else but ways of tranquilizing your boredom.” The worldview we espouse will by and large determine our understanding of the meaning of life itself. This is important because if life has no ultimate purpose then neither do you or I. In that case, there would be no purpose to fulfill, assignment to complete, or reason to exist.
If our purpose comes from the Creator that gave it to us, then in order to know and complete that purpose, it would be natural to harken back to said Creator for guidance regarding how to fulfill our purpose. However, if you don’t believe in such a Creator or don’t believe in the Creator as described in the Bible, it would be unlikely, perhaps impossible, to get direction from Him. Therefore, it does need to be shown that there is significant evidence that such a Creator exists and that He is personal and intentional because only such a being would be capable of giving every human being a specific purpose.
Jose Philip of RZIM said, “it is possible to have a meaningful knowledge of God without having an exhaustive knowledge of God.” We could study the case for God as the Creator of the universe (and many have) and there may be some small details that you can’t validate. The question is do you discount the validity of an argument when 9 out of 10 pieces of evidence support it simply because 1 piece provides some questions?
If you are able to get over that hurdle, you can begin to develop a relationship with the One who gave you your purpose. Once you are clear about your origin, you can gain clarity on your purpose. Once you gain clarity on your purpose, you gain clarity on where you’re going. The Greek word Abba (father) means source and sustainer. The same source that sustains the universe has promised to sustain you and I if we be in relationship with Him. The nature of the universe points to the fact that it was precisely and intentionally designed. The nature of the human race points to the fact that we must have a transcendent source for our moral standard. The way in which we reconcile these two concepts, a transcendent source and purposeful design, will lead us down the road towards understanding our purpose in life.
THE SOURCE OF PURPOSE
Every product has a maker. Likewise, every beginning has a beginner. In 1916 Albert Einstein came up with his theory of general relativity but he was unhappy with where his calculations were leading him. The theory, since confirmed, proved once and for all that the universe was not eternal but had a beginning. Later discoveries by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson confirmed that the universe was not eternal and that there must be an uncaused first cause. Many of us know this primary source to be God. For those that disagree, who or what do you posit as whom Aristotle referred to as the unmoved mover? The source of the universe and thereby of humanity chose to create. There was purpose and intentionality behind those events. What if we were to be as purposeful and intentional in completing the little purposes we undertake with an eye towards fulfilling our ultimate purpose?
THE SUSTAINER OF PURPOSE
The Apostle Paul wrote, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:17). To think that blind evolutionary forces created the complexity of our bodily makeup is far-fetched. Every organ and every cell within those organs serve a purpose. I remember being in Lamaze class before my eldest was born and they told us about vernix caseosa. In the womb it is a lotion like substance that helps protect the baby’s delicate skin from infection and the acidic quality of the amniotic fluid. This seems like a little thing but this level of purpose in our design allows for the fulfillment of much larger purposes later in life. What small steps can you take today that will pay huge dividends later?
THE SEED OF PURPOSE
A tree can’t grow if no seed is planted. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly… But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” The seed of purpose has been planted in you and I and nurtured by the circumstances we’ve conquered and the lessons we’ve learned. Look back and you’ll realize that the fulfillment of many smaller purposes has led you on the pathway to greater successes.
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