Made for a Purpose, Part 2

Our second episode of Wonder & Shine is available for your listening! The topic is PURPOSE, so I have been sharing a message that I gave on the topic last year at a Women's Conference. This is part 2 of three. Don't forget how greatly you're loved by a Lord that made you on purpose and for a purpose.

II. Made for a Purpose

I am a very busy person. I’ve stayed that way most of my life. I discovered in high school that I can multitask fairly well and that I work well under pressure. I stay busy most of the time. I teach 8th grade science, I am a youth leader at my church along with my husband and my friends here; I am a member of a our praise team and our adult choir; I am part of the audio visual team at church; lead women’s bible studies with my precious friend and disciple two huddles; serve on the witness team; act as webmaster; and along with my amazing husband, mentor 18 awesome boys in a ministry we call Scoring for Christ. I stay pretty busy, stay pretty tired, go to bed early, and love every minute of it. One of my precious sisters asks me constantly how I do it all and could I teach her… but the truth is, it’s not me at all. It’s my GOD.

If I were to honest with you… I am a hot mess. I am not disorganized… I am what you could call organized chaos. I am obsessively early, super forgetful about everything but dates, getting older in all my joints and muscles but not even a little bit in my mind. I absolutely could NOT do any of what I do without my God!

But as long as I am being honest… this hot mess also compares myself to others constantly. I wish I could do this like she does. I wish I was more eloquent like he is. I wish I always knew the right things to say like he does. If we were all honest with ourselves, I am sure we would all admit to: comparing ourselves to others, wishing we were different, wishing we were more. And maybe we could even admit we allow these comparisons to keep us from doing what we were created for.

“I could do so much more for God’s kingdom if I were able to…” Has anyone ever let that thought sneak through their heads?? Me too… I often allow thoughts of not being enough make me question whether I am doing all I can for God.

A few weeks ago I put a question out on social media: DO YOU KNOW YOUR PURPOSE? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER GOD? As the answers started rolling in, I was little confused. More people were answering emphatically that-- YES!-- they did know! I was confused because I had always figured I was not alone in questioning what God created me for, in questioning what what more I could do for Him. I had a theory in my head and it wasn’t adding up at all.

And then I started getting the answers I was hoping for and expecting. People started answering: I know I have something to offer… but I don’t know my purpose or how God can use me. Maybe we begin to feel small and insignificant when we see what others are doing for Christ, but we still don’t know what our part is. Truth is, maybe some are too shy to admit that, even though God created them, they don’t know what they have to offer at all.

I am here to testify to you today: you were made on purpose and for a purpose. God chose you because he knit within you the very gifts and talents that he needs to fulfill his promises and bring his kingdom to completion. You cannot compare yourself to what others can do or are doing for Christ because God made each of us differently… and I also know that if we do not serve God in the way that we were created, he will find someone else who will. His Will will be done with or without you.

Short and sweet, right?  Yes, I am a hot mess... and a year later I am STILL a hot mess!  But I know that God loves this hot mess... so I am committed to shine Jesus through it all.  Only then will I live out my purpose!