Life for My Only Boast

This transition period in my life is being very thought-provoking for me: it has been forcing me to see truly that for my life to have meaning, I must find purpose in the Lord. I started just today to read Ecclesiastes because it seemed to be the perfect book of the Bible to dive into next: my current season of life is the one that when I was younger, I firmly dreamed as the one where “everything would be put together” for me. Obviously…that little blissful vision is not reality, as I admitted in my previous post.

Right now, my living conditions are “up in the air.” This mysterious quest for a place of my own has been quite the route of frustration and the result, for now, of still no place to live but of definite growth in recognizing His provision for my needs (see future blog post).  Life would be “pretty awesome” if I finally had a little abode to make mine. However, even this will not provide me with purpose in life. Now that I have reached the point in my life that I once saw as “when I will have everything,” I realize that having everything in-and-of itself does not promise this long-sought purpose. Yes, I have a degree. Yes, I graduated with honors. Yes, I get to ride and train horses and even guide children in their early steps with horses. And, yes, I even have a job that I am excited to start!

BUT THESE WILL NOT GIVE ME PURPOSE.

What, then, gives meaning to every one of my breaths?
This list of accomplishments and of future labors I just itemized are wonderful but they are not meaningful in-and-of themselves apart from the One who gave them to me and who gifted me with what I needed to carry them out fully. The Lord is the One who knew every single detail about me before I was formed and created me with a purpose and a special design (Psalm 139). Day by day, even through my mistakes, failures, and shortcomings, He uses every detail for a greater purpose and wants me to live every moment to its fullest for His glory (Jeremiah 29). He wants me to live as He has created me to be because this identity in Him will be the life that brings me the most joy, satisfaction, and purpose (I Cor. 7:17, 24; Psalm 37:4-7). Hebrews 13:5-6 states that I can live every day fully content –happily satisfied  because I already have everything that I absolutely need: a beautiful relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ that will never end and never leave me lonely. The Lord also promises me that He will absolutely provide me with every single thing that I could need –and more (Phil. 4:19)!

Everything else besides Christ in my life fails to give me purpose. He may choose to bless me in abundance or provide me with just my needs –but these mean nothing apart from the life and joy a relationship with Him bring. Growing in His truth, worshiping Him with my life, and touching the lives of others –those are my purpose; those give me a meaning to live; and those encourage me to live every day to its fullest. And those come straight from His heart.

Though none go with me, I will follow…because it’s worth it!