A Higher Purpose

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

– 1 Corinthians 12:12

According to the Retail TouchPoints website, Amazon and its Amazon Marketplace vendors sell over 350 million products — and each one has an intended purpose. 

People are also designed with an intended purpose or calling. And when it comes to Christ-followers like you and me, the Bible reveals that our Creator has given us certain gifts, talents, and resources for advancing his kingdom on Earth. For example, singers and musicians might use their gifts to lead Sunday morning worship. And accountants, bookkeepers, and office managers can focus their talents on helping the church operate efficiently. Likewise, those same gifts and talents have applications in the secular world, which can also help identify their owner’s purpose or calling.

Have you found yours?

If not, your search should begin with regular prayer, Bible study, and discernment — the ongoing functions of living, thinking, and acting to distinguish between right and wrong — and the essential from the secondary. Meanwhile, your daily circumstances, trials, and crises also blend into the mix. But it’s your service that often reveals the answer. That’s because we’re all called to be Jesus’ hands and feet in our community … and across the globe. It’s no coincidence that Believers who complete a mission trip or other acts of service say that they gained far more from the experience than those they sought to help. 

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served,” explains Jesus. “He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."

With that in mind, let’s ask God to reveal his higher purpose for us — and then turn our faith into words and deeds that can change the world.