More to Life

Most of us have been raised to pursue self-sufficiency, independence, and success, but very few of us know how to find our purpose. There’s nothing wrong with learning how to take care of yourself, supply for your own needs, and desire success, but if this becomes your sole focus in life, you will always miss your purpose. If your pursuit of self-sufficiency and success turns into worry and lust for achievement, you will become distracted from realizing/ and oblivious to the calling and the purpose that God created you for.

In Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT) Jesus says, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matt 6:31-33 NLT)

If you are a believer, you are not meant to be consumed by worry. That is not how God designed you because God knows that if you are worried, you will lose sight of His Kingdom and the assignment He has for your life. Each of us are called to make a difference in the earth in our own unique way, and as a child of God, He doesn’t want you to lose focus of His eternal promises due to temporary concerns. When we keep God and His priorities first and do right by God and by others, He will always make sure we are taken care of, even if there are seasons in life where we don’t have much.

Lust for worldly success is another barrier to walking in your purpose. Again, there is nothing wrong with wanting to succeed in life, but if this desire becomes an obsession where nothing else matters to you but being better than the next person, impressing people, or having all the credentials, accolades, and qualifications that society says you should have, than you risk losing your real purpose.

In Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) Jesus says “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Living for God is counter-cultural, but it will always fill the void in your soul like nothing in this world can. That’s because no amount of stuff or awards can make you feel complete the way God’s unconditional love can. The greatest joy and blessing in life is being called a son or daughter of God and once we realize this, we will no longer struggle with identity crisis, insecurity, or define ourselves and our worth by what we do or what we have. Accepting our true identity allows God to reveal to us how He designed us and what He created us for. He knows your soul better than you do. Denying yourself means letting go of control of your own life and giving it to God, who knows the plans He has for you and can be trusted. And in God’s hands, you will find the real life that you were losing yourself trying to look for on your own.

“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3 NLT)

Stay encouraged,

Leena