PURPOSE BREEDS COURAGE

• DAY 93
• Faith File: John The Baptist
• Scripture: John 1:20-23

“He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.””

John 1:20-23

One of the things I’ve learned, is that people of courage, confidence, and faith, know what God put them on earth to do. So powerful is such knowing that it eliminates almost all feelings of anxiety and worry. There are so many examples that we can see in the Scriptures, but today we’re going to focus on John the Baptist. 

The Forerunner

John knew that his purpose was to be the forerunner of Jesus; “The voice crying out in the wilderness making a way for the Lord.” He knew his purpose and he lived in the consciousness of it. Although his purpose caused him to live  in the wilderness with only locusts and wild honey as food, he was not anxious or worried. 

He didn’t complain to God about his living or feeding conditions nor did he ask God, “Why don’t You love me? Why have You decided to treat me like this?” He understood that to be a voice crying out in the wilderness, he had to actually BE in the wilderness. How are you going to be a voice crying in the wilderness if you are living in the city? See, sometimes your purpose in life might take you through painful ordeals, yet if you understand YOUR PURPOSE, worry and anxiety will not be your story. 

To add insult to injury, his fellow “pastors” (aka religious leaders and teachers of the law) didn’t like him. But with all that was happening to him, he wasn’t worried. Why? Because he understood his purpose. Listen, if you want to be filled with courage, now would be a good time for you to ask God what He put you on Earth for. Why did He create you? That information is pivotal. And it has led to so many theories on existentialism. 

How To Find It

One thing that scares people is not knowing who they are and what they’re meant to do. I’ve been there before. There was a time that God asked me to go back to Benin Republic, and I kept asking Him, WHY? He just told me to go back and serve Him full time. He didn’t give me any other information. And that made me anxious. 

There was once a trend of “motivational speakers” they were everywhere you turned with their “know your purpose” campaign. But nobody actually told me how to know my purpose. I read a lot of books, but it took some time before I had a slight idea. Here are a couple things that I learnt from that season. 

1. God is the only one that can reveal your purpose

If you are expecting a book or a “wise man” to tell you your purpose you will step into error. God is the only person that has that information and asking Him in prayer is the only way to get it. Just ask Him. It might not come the way you expect but He will answer. You can ask Him to keep you at the center of His will for every season. And you will see He will begin to lead you in the direction of His purpose for your life.

2. Everyone has a primary purpose

As a believer, your purpose is to serve the Lord with all your heart, mind and body. For example, if you are a teacher your purpose is to represent Christ in your classroom and school. God’s desire is that all men should come to the knowledge of Him. So if you’re helping people to come to God, you are already fulfilling your primary purpose on earth. 

You might not know the specificity of your purpose yet, so start with the general one.

3. You don’t always need to see the bigger picture. 

Sometimes the reason we’re so anxious about knowing our purpose is because we want to have all the details, we want to know everything and plan our lives our way. But you have to understand that God has the blueprint and He will reveal each step to you. So it’s okay not having all the details. 

God wants to take you on a journey and it’s going to be one step at a time. Even if He says “leave  your home” that should be enough for you. Sometimes what he has for you is in the process not the destination. God speaks according to season, so you have to be okay with whatever. 

4. Focus on the seasons. 

If God tells you what He has called you to do in a particular season, or if He just created the burden in your mind, let your focus be on that. Even if it means you have to make a complete U-turn in the path you were initially headed, DO IT! For example, everything I’ve done in my life has led me to this moment. I don’t know what is in the next phase of my life, but I know that I’m going with God. Right now, he wants me to make this devotional, next year, he might ask me to do bungee jumping. 

5. No Pressure

The important thing is to not put yourself under pressure or make yourself anxious because you don’t have the full picture of your purpose. For years I was worried and the reason was because I felt useless everytime someone asked me for my five year plan or vision. Because I didn’t have any. And that was because I didn’t know what God wanted for me. How can I know my 5-year plan when I don’t even know the one for next month? I had plans but with one instruction God rearranged them. And that was tough.

A Good Answer

I had to learn that “I don’t know” is a good answer. Some people know their purpose from birth like John the Baptist and others know it later in life like Mary the mother of Jesus, and all the Apostles. Others have to follow God’s plan in bits and that’s okay. Because it’s His plan. It might be called your purpose but don’t take that to mean that it comes from you.

Trust that God already has it written out and go with Him. Don’t give in to anxiety.

Now let’s take a moment and pray

The Bible says if we ask anything in his name, He will do it. It is not limited to only your needs, it also includes asking for your purpose. 

Heavenly Father, why did You create me? What is it that you’re calling me here to do? Open my eyes to see the works that you’re doing in each season and help me to live out the fullness of your purpose. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Shalom