A sense of "Purpose."

Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

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I used to think this set of scripture was talking about selling all that I had and becoming a preacher living in the desert. While that's not a bad idea, it currently is not my calling.

I thought about what was being said here and I believe JESUS is telling me to have a sense of purpose while I'm here on this earth. I remember just getting out of college, ready to take on the world. I hadn't seen church much sense high school, so I thought I would pray. Strange thought, but let me give it a shot.

I prayed that GOD make me "successful." Wow! I had no idea about the ride HE would take me on. My first job enabled me to buy my first new car, instead of the side of the road specials I had been driving.

I started going to church again and even "serving" and this time I prayed "LORD get me out of this small town" for I had moved to "Podunk, Nowhere USA." Shortly after my prayer, I got a job with a premier consulting firm in Chicago that had me flying all over the country. Hey, this prayer stuff is alright!

I then prayed for a wife and family. Poof. OK not Poof, but my wife did come along and we did have kids. Wow. I like this prayer stuff! Then I prayed for a better neighborhood to live in because we were raising kids. I got another job which enabled us to move into a house we built from the ground up in a nice neighborhood.

During this time I was blessed to grow in the LORD, learning, I went to night classes at Bible college, witnessed in neighborhoods, went on missions trips. Life is good!

I got a promotion. Then another. Then another. Then they asked me to move to Southern California! Wow! I'm successful. I can't teach now, I'm too busy, but I do have time to go to that island and on that cruise and "yes" I'll take one of those and two of those.

I got another promotion and this time I had to move back to the headquarters because I am now over the "nation." I'll take one of those and five of those shiny things right here. Only the biggest and the best!

"Wait a minute?" you ask, "what happened to prayer?" "What happened to serving?" Well I had no time for that. GOD wants me to be a good steward over my job right? Yes but not as an idol.

I idolized my job and status. I realized this when I no longer had the position and I wondered where I was with GOD. I had gained the world and was losing my soul. I had lost my sense of purpose of being here.

• GOD wants us to remember we are here temporarily.
• GOD doesn't mind you having stuff, just don't make "stuff" your purpose.
• GOD will let you do "your" thing, but remember, HE wants us to do "HIS" thing.

I forgot my purpose for being on this planet. It is not to look the "sharpest" in the best clothes and drive the best and forget the rest. GOD desires that we tell people about HIS SON. No matter what my career or status, GOD wants me give to others, love humans and keep them from rejecting HIS SON.

• What is your purpose?
• What are you "driving" for?
• What does "success" look like to you?
• Is GOD calling you to another purpose for your life?
• Will you use your career to serve GOD also?