When we think about living on purpose, it can mean different things to different people. One of the first aspects that comes to my mind is the desire to not only love God and be thankful for who he is but to also love my life and appreciate who I am.
This is not to be confused with being arrogant or satisfied about where I am in my journey. Rather it has everything to do with having peace and contentment in our soul as we allow God to change us into his image.
Billy HollandIt’s true that being honest and willing to embrace the anxiety and the unfairness within our everyday life is painful, but it’s also the only way we can truly become the person God wants us to be. The difficult part of being transformed into this way of thinking is learning how to embrace not just the pleasant events but also the difficult circumstances. This is a very important part of our spiritual development and a great way to learn how to listen carefully, wait patiently, keep our eyes focused on him and trust him completely. Alexander Maclaren is quoted, “Only he who can say the Lord is the strength of my life can also declare, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?'”
We realize that many of our problems and failures are self-inflicted, but there are also times when things happen to us that are not our fault. When we find ourselves in a difficult place, we must believe this season of agony will not last forever. We can know that if we keep walking forward with complete faith in God that eventually our situation will change for the better.
Just as we can realize the whole world is not a scorching, relentless desert but also contains lush jungles, beautiful lakes and rivers, majestic mountains, forest and fields. Likewise, if you are walking through a dry and desolate experience, I encourage you to stop and consider that your oasis is possibly right over the next hill. I do not know how or when you will walk out of your desert, but the Lord is our shepherd and it’s only a matter of time before he leads you into his green pastures and still waters. An amazing truth is that God wants the best for all of us, and of all the promises we can write upon the tables of our heart, we can stand with confidence on the spiritual reality of his endless love.