With how much is going on in our lives and the lives of those we love, it can be hard to discern exactly what we are supposed to do. Are we supposed to go or stay? Keep or donate? Start, stop, or continue?
There are so many things grabbing for our attention. How do we know what to devote ourselves to? Underneath all the clutter of a full schedule, why are we running around to begin with? Here’s why, your core fundamental purpose:
#1 — Abide in Christ
The great and first commandment is that we are to love God (Matthew 22:36-38). He is the starting point for everything. If we want to love, we must know Love Himself. If we want comfort, we must know the Comforter. If we want to know who we are, we must know Him.
This is why it is essential to have a daily quiet time. To carry out our lives as best we can, we must forever be returning, refreshing, and reminding ourselves of fundamental truths. We must “abide,” which means to hang out or permanently relax, like how a branch is attached to the trunk of a tree.
There is a lot that can be learned from branches, like peace. Branches are one of the least anxious things. They don’t have anxiety about bearing fruit, and when they do bear fruit, they don’t brag about it either. Branches are so good at just existing, like how we should be resting in the Lord (Psalms 46:10).
In crazy storms, when leaves are turned upside down, branches just hang on. That is our one job if we only do one thing: permanently relax in Jesus. We must hold fast to Christ because Jesus is returning for His church!
#2 — Proclaim His excellencies
Our second commandment is like the first: love others. We are to fulfill our purpose as cracked pots holding His treasure, broken mirrors reflecting His glory, bent arrows pointing back to Him, and songbirds proclaiming His dawn (1 Peter 2:9) for the sake of another.
“God did not add another day to your life because you needed it, He added it because someone needs you.”
-C.S. Lewis
We are called to delight in, feed on, and build our lives upon what is most beautiful. We are called to talk about true goodness as a means to encourage and build up those around us (Ephesians 4:29).
Whenever you see a ripple of His grace, this can be as simple as exclaiming, “That was God!” If you’re in the middle of a hard season, you can respond to inquiries about your well-being with “God is good.” If you’ve reached a mountain peak, you can say, “Look what He did.”
This is our highest call and our deepest joy. If you only do one thing today, fulfill the core purpose of your existence by resting in God’s presence and telling others about Him. This will fill your life with meaning and value that is otherwise unattainable.
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