Pursuing Your Purpose

“May you learn to value purpose over pleasure, duty over delight and faith over feeling in pursuit of the great adventure that God has for you.”
-- Chuck Holton, A More Elite Soldier

Hello everyone, Specialist Camden McFarland’s dad here. First Officer Stansbury has asked me to join in the Challenge blog. I thought a good way to start would be to pick up where he left off in his last post, “Where the Rubber Meets the Road.” There, First Officer Stansbury spoke strongly about the importance of pursuing a life of purpose. I agree wholeheartedly. So much so, that it is part of my family’s creed and a core tenet of the training my sons receive as I teach them how to be authentic godly men. Now, you are probably saying, “HUA! I get it and am ready to step up!” However, you might also be wondering, “But how do I pursue my purpose, if I’m not even sure what that purpose is?” Well, be encouraged. I believe God’s word provides answers to this question. The following are five that I have found to be true as I pursue Christ’s purpose for me:

1. Follow orders.

Complete obedience to God and a close relationship with him must be the top priority for every person who wants to realize God’s purpose for their life. This is verified in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” It is emphasized again in Joshua 1:1-9, where God gives Joshua his orders to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Pay special attention to verses 7-9. God makes it clear that if Joshua wants to succeed, he must follow orders. This happens again in 2 Kings 2:2-3. King David is on his deathbed and gives this charge to his son, Solomon: “… So be strong, show yourself a man (emphasis mine), and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements … so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.” Again, the bottom line is that total submission to God is a mandatory, non-negotiable requirement if you want to realize his purpose for your life.

2. It’s an “all or nothing” proposition.

God will not reveal his purpose for you until you are fully committed to Him. Put simply, he wants your whole heart. In his book Waking The Dead, John Elderedge illustrates this when he says, "To find God, you must look with all your heart. To remain present to God, you must remain present to your heart. To hear his voice, you must listen with all your heart. To love him, you must love with all your heart. You cannot be the person God meant you to be, and you cannot live the life he meant you to live, unless you live from the heart." Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Romans 12:2 does too. Check it out.

3. You are on a “need to know” basis.

God does not tell you what you need to know to accomplish your mission until you need to know it. Even then, he only tells you enough to get to the next step in that journey. He also never does the same thing twice and makes it clear that your life is not just about you and that you are part of something much bigger than yourself ( Jeremiah 10:23, Proverbs 16:1,16:9, 19:21). Uncomfortable with this? That’s normal. Most people are. However, men of god must learn to be comfortable with discomfort. God works this way because he wants to show you his faithfulness, so that you can see firsthand that he is worthy of being trusted and loves you deeply. Then, as you learn to trust him in all situations, your faith increases and you praise him more. Make no mistake. It is all about God and he gets all the credit. He alone is worthy of all praise and glory.

4. The only easy day was yesterday.

If you start down a path that you believe is God’s purpose for you, only to encounter difficulties, challenges and setbacks, along with feelings of fear, insufficiency, or a sense of being in way over your head … then you are probably on the right track. Don’t let that surprise you. The Bible makes it clear that if you want God to use you to make a difference in this world, then you will draw fire from the enemy (Matthew 10:16, 22, 34). He also says that you must be willing to endure hardship if you want to be a soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). Pursuing God requires self-discipline and tenacity, because God uses hardship to build character and teach perseverance. You must persevere so that you can become mature and complete, not lacking anything. Don’t take my word for it. Read Romans 5:3 and James 1:2-4. It’s all there.

5. You are already uniquely suited and fully equipped to complete your mission.

God points this out in Romans 12:6 and 1 Corinthians 7:7. He knew his plan for you before you were even born (Psalm 139:13-16, Ephesians 2:10). He also gives you the strength (Philippians 4:13) and, ironically, the weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) necessary to accomplish his purpose for your life (Psalm 57:2, Philippians 1:6). Is that not awesome?! Well, it doesn’t stop there. Our creator loves us so much that he actually put desires in our heart that make us enjoy the tasks needed to pursue our purpose so that we may find joy in the plans he has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). In the words of Fredrick Buechner, ““The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.” So, figure out what you love and then use it for the glory of God. That is how he intended you to be!

Well, it’s time to wrap this up. I’ve thrown a lot at you. It may take awhile to digest it all. In the meantime, start by reading Romans 8:28-39. This passage concisely summarizes the answers I’ve shared and boils them down to one powerful truth: “…In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” So, take heart Specialists! You have been called to be men of God and leaders of men. Now go forward and reject passivity, accept responsibility and lead courageously so that you will receive the eternal reward God has in store for you.

Stand Firm,

Mike McFarland
2010 Challenge Guest Director