EXPOSE | Go your own way?
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
EXPLORE | Purposefully ascribe glory
I use this quote from Emerson in jest.
It seems to me that this is the prevailing thought about what we are to do with our lives: the reason we are here is to go our own way; to leave our mark.
I understand the sentiment. Life is like wet cement or freshly fallen snow, we shouldn’t resist etching our initials or making a pretty snow angel. Find a blank canvas and go to work!
Does it seem to you that Emerson has been taken too literally? Reject a path just because it has been previously traveled? For all you know, that path is there precisely because it is the way to go!
New for new’s sake is frivolous. Abandoning what has been done before–just because it has been done before–is futile. It is a little like rejecting the narrow path just because it is narrow. And we know what choosing the wider path means:
“…for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Matthew 7:13-14
Easy, wide paths are bad but oh-so-appealing. As we head into the season of ‘pondering the year that has passed and plotting big things for the year ahead’, I thought I would throw out the idea that rather than doing something ‘radical’, how about fleshing out what it means to live with purpose?
Why are you here… on earth, in your country, in your state, in your town, in your family, at this point in time? God has an answer for that. And that is the path you want to be on.
Have you ever pondered what it truly means to live purposefully?
I like the word pondered. Mary did it. She was presented with a profound proclamation about the son she would give birth to, and then she: “…treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19, emphasis mine)
The Oxford Dictionary traces the root of ‘ponder’ to the Latin word ‘ponderare’, which means to ‘weigh, reflect on’. The definition of ponder advises us to “think about (something) carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion.”
When we ponder what it would mean for us to live with purpose, the apostle Paul comes to mind. In Philippians 1:21 he stated, “…to live is Christ.” It wasn’t a casual statement, but an astonishing revelation that should shape our entire existence. We join philosophers, theologians, and everyday people who have pondered it for centuries.
I wonder if we tend to avoid considering what Paul said because it doesn’t seem as enjoyable as the other things on our list (there is that ‘wider path’ again). Just a quick note on that, because after all, doesn’t God want us to be happy? Happiness isn’t a goal in and of itself, but it can be a byproduct of living purposefully. When we align our lives with Christ, we do find a deep, abiding joy that transcends the fleeting pleasures of the world.
Here’s a simple definition of a purposeful life: a purposeful life is one that is lived with a clear sense of meaning and direction, whose foundation is the Bible.
As the Creator of life, God is the objective, hands-down, absolute source, and means, of living a life of purpose. A strong argument can be made that the basis for living a purposeful life is found in Matthew 22:37-39: love God and love our neighbor.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:37-39
It is both a logical response to all that God has done for us and, necessarily aligns with the purpose for every other created thing: the glory of God.
John Piper stresses the importance of pursuing God’s glory above all else (i.e. “…to live is Christ…”). He writes, “God created us for his glory, and He created us to be glad in his glory. Therefore, the goal of creation is that there be gladness in the shining of God’s glory.”
There is a chorus of scholars and pastors that affirm our God-glorying mission:
- Dallas Willard: “The purpose of human life is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”
- N.T. Wright: “We are here to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That is the meaning of life.”
- Tim Keller: “The purpose of life is to glorify God by enjoying Him and making Him known to others.”
- J.D. Greear: “The purpose of life is not to be happy or successful. The purpose of life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
To that end, the Bible advises that we use our gifts wisely.
The esteemed nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “The main purpose of life is to live rightly, think rightly, and to act rightly.”
Understanding–and believing–how to live with purpose leads to our “living rightly.”
In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus teaches that God entrusts us with resources (our time, talents, and treasures) we are responsible for cultivating and investing for His glory. Ephesians 2:10 declares, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There is a plan and a means: our good works flow out of our unique identity and calling in Christ to glorify God.
EXECUTE | How to practically live a purposeful life
The search for purpose often takes us on a journey looking for meaning in various places. But the ultimate answer lies in God Himself.
“I have found that God is the end of all joyful craving. He is the heaven, the life, the joy of all those who are forever happy. Paradise is to know him, to experience his glory.”
Greg Morse, staff writer for desiringGod.org
As you might expect, living purposefully includes immersing ourselves in Scripture, embracing a lifestyle of prayer, and living in a healthy community of faith. All of these are ways to anchor our lives more deeply in Christ and direct us to live purposefully.
With that as our crucial foundation, here are some key principles for living a purposeful life:
- It’s a daily decision. Living for Christ isn’t a one-time event but a daily decision. Our first decision of the day should be to renew our commitment to living with purpose based on loving God and loving others. Willfully seek His direction and inspiration to live that out specifically.
- Use your unique gifts. God created us for a purpose and He has equipped us with the means to accomplish what He intended. The strategy is sound: He calls us to a meaningful life, by being the very means of experiencing and facilitating meaningful things. The end is the glory of God, the means is to joy in being who He has made you to be.
- Be a good steward. Develop God-honoring management of your mind, body, time, and finances. Be intentional with the opportunities you’re given to maximize your God-equipped, God-ordained contribution. How will you exercise your gifting today? This week?
I don’t mean to make it sound so simple. But it isn’t complicated. Living purposefully comes down to making a daily decision to effectively manage what God has given you that ultimately glorifies Him. I’ll add one last thing: Develop a routine of taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We cannot love God and others if we neglect these crucial areas of our lives. Doing so, along with adopting these key principles, will allow us to do our best, to be our best, to offer our best.
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Further reading:
To live is Christ – what does it mean?
Does God want me to be happy?
Anywhere but God
Three strategies for overcoming the superficial life
Photo by Yoal Desurmont on Unsplash