What is your purpose?
What are we here for, is everything a meaningless pursuit of survival and pleasure - or is there far more? As we look out at our plans for the new year, let’s learn from Scripture what makes us who we are, and what we’re supposed to do to understand and live out the purpose for which God created us. David’s life provides a great picture of what it means to be authentically ourselves and to live for God’s purpose.
Through the Scripture
What is your purpose?
“So what do you do for a living?” Is never far from an introduction to someone new. We like to know what people do because we think it will help us understand who they are and what their value is compared to ours. It shouldn’t be this way, and it’s not the way that God views or values us. Solomon realised, by the Holy Spirit, that our occupations and all that we work hard at is usually rooted in trying to prove our value in comparison with others. Is this how God wants us to value ourselves and others, and is this the purpose for which God made us and equipped us with all the gift that He did?
Ecclesiastes 4:4 ESV Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Psalms 37:1-3 ESV Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! [2] For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. [3] Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
God determines our value, identity and purpose
David wrote many Psalms, writing these Psalms required a knowledge of Scripture (he had to read and hear it frequently), and time to think deeply about God and the life He’s given us. Occupying our minds like this, like David must have, leads to a deep understanding of God and His will for us. What did David understand about our value and purpose and share with us in Psalm 139?
Psalms 139:13-17 ESV For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. [14] I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. [15] My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. [16] Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. [17] How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Why God makes us different
Nobody feels fearfully and wonderfully made all the time. We are frequently made aware of our weaknesses and failures or cover up the knowledge of these weaknesses with pride. Whatever we feel about ourselves, we need to acknowledge that God made us different from others for a reason, comparing ourselves to others is wasted “breath”. Being different is precious, it makes us valuable. What does God give to people who the world deems less valuable (according to Paul’s analogy in 1 Cor 12), and why does He do this?
1 Corinthians 12:24-25 ESV which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, [25] that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
What do we do to find identity and purpose?
So we’ve been made to be necessary to those around us, we know that God values us and makes us valuable to others, that helps us grasp our identity in God rather than according to the world, but how do we determine our purpose? Philipians tells us that if we think right we’ll do right and if we do right we will be the person God wants us to be. This is profoundly simple and yet difficult to accept. We are expected to know everything about our purpose, God has already determined that. We do need to keep doing the little things obediently and faithfully, and then will will be able to “be” with God. Being ourselves means being with God which happens when we think and do the right thing.
Philippians 4:8-9 ESV Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. [9] What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
David’s life shows us how to live out our purpose
Look at the life of David - you read about him in 1 Samuel. David went from being the left-out brother to the king of Israel, because God chose him. David could never have known the details of God’s plan for him, especially while looking after his fathers sheep, but his faithful humble obedience and dependence on God was all that was required while God worked out the big picture. Are we being like David and waiting on God to use us in His plans?
1 Samuel 16:6-7 ESV When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.” [7] But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
We are more valuable than we realise
Why God uses us in His great plans is a mystery, He doesn’t need us, but He loves and values us and makes us part of His amazing works. God values us deeply, what does Jesus teaching on little sparrows teach us about how God cares for and values us?
Matthew 10:29-31 ESV Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. [30] But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
How valuable are we?
Whatever you experience this year, however valuable or accomplished you feel or don’t feel, always come back to the truth about the way God sees you. What do Jesus words in John 3:16 tell us about our value in God’s eyes? It’s good to remember this to help and motivate us, by faith in His power, to think right, do right and be right with God while we trust Him to work out our future, for His purpose and glory.
John 3:16-17 ESV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Daily Devotions
Monday: The Vanity of Comparison
Reflecting on how the drive to succeed is often rooted in envy and how to find a motive for work that honours God.
Today's Verse Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4 ESV
Reflection Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest of kings, observed that much of our hard work and skill is actually fueled by a desire to prove our value in comparison to those around us. This motive is described as a fleeting breath or "vanity," leaving us in a dark place of meaninglessness. Jesus Christ came to rescue us from this futile cycle. He provides a purpose that is not based on being better than others but on being who He created us to be. When we focus on Him, our toil is no longer a "striving after wind" but a way to serve the King who has already secured our eternal value.
Additional Scripture
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Psalms 37:1-3 ESV
Life Application Examine your motives for your goals this year. Are you working hard because you want what your neighbour has, or because you want to use your skills for God? Practice "befriending faithfulness" by doing good in your current situation without looking at the progress of others.
Prayer points
Pray for a heart that is content with what He has provided.
Ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal any selfish ambition or envy in your work.
Pray for the strength to do good simply because it honours Him.
Tuesday: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Discovering that our identity and value are determined by the intricate design and sovereign plan of our Creator.
Today's Verse I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalms 139:14 ESV
Reflection David understood that God was intimately involved in his creation, knitting him together and seeing his unformed substance. This same God has scripted every one of your days before you even lived one of them. Jesus shows us the fullness of this love; He is the God who has the power and the desire to script your life with intricate care. Even when we feel like "rubbish" or fail, our value remains because we are His workmanship. He does not value us as the world does, based on appearance or output, but as His precious children whom He has known since the womb.
Additional Scripture
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Psalms 139:13, 15-17 ESV
Life Application When you feel undervalued or "meaningless," remind yourself that the King of the universe spent time intricately weaving your life. Your identity is not found in what you do, but in the fact that He thought of you and planned your days before time began.
Prayer points
Thank Him for the care He took in forming your inward parts.
Pray for a deeper understanding of His vast and precious thoughts toward you.
Ask for the grace to accept His script for your life today.
Wednesday: Necessary Parts of the Body
Understanding that our differences are intentional and that God has placed each person in the Church to be necessary to others.
Today's Verse But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:24-25 ESV
Reflection God does not view us as isolated individuals but as members of a body. He intentionally makes us different so that we are required by those around us. Just as a physical body needs every organ to function, Jesus has composed His Church so that even those who feel "awkward" or "unnecessary" are vital. He gives special honor to the parts the world deems less valuable so that we all care for each other. Your unique gifts and even your perceived weaknesses are part of His plan to make you necessary to the rest of the body of Christ.
Additional Scripture
which our more presentable parts do not require. 1 Corinthians 12:24 ESV
Life Application Do not try to hide or leave early to avoid being noticed. Recognize that God has given you a gift that your church needs. Look for someone who seems "different" or "awkward" and realize that He has placed them there for a reason; seek to care for them as He does.
Prayer points
Pray for a heart that values every member of the Church as He does.
Ask Him to show you the specific gift He has given you to serve others.
Pray for an end to division and for a spirit of mutual care in your community.
Thursday: Thinking Right to Do Right
Finding our purpose by filling our minds with what is good and practicing the simple, obedient steps God puts before us.
Today's Verse Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 ESV
Reflection Finding your purpose is often as simple as doing the right thing every day. What we think about directly leads to what we do; if we fill our minds with anger, we act out in hurt, but if we think on what is lovely and pure, we act in love. Jesus is the embodiment of all these excellent things. When we think about Him and practice what we have learned from His Word, the God of peace is with us. Being ourselves means being with God, which happens when we choose to think and act according to His truth in the "little things."
Additional Scripture
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 ESV
Life Application Identify one area where your thoughts have been negative or bitter. Consciously choose to replace those thoughts with something true or commendable about Jesus. Practice doing one "right thing" today, like forgiving someone or being honest, and wait for His peace.
Prayer points
Ask the Holy Spirit to guard your mind and help you think on what is pure.
Pray for the discipline to practice the truths you have heard from Scripture.
Ask for the gift of His presence and the ability to exist in His peace.
Friday: The Heart That God Sees
Learning from David's life that God chooses and uses those who are faithful in the small, hidden tasks because He looks at the heart.
Today's Verse But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV
Reflection When Samuel went to anoint the next king, he was impressed by outward strength and appearance. However, God chose David, the youngest brother who was left out in the fields with the sheep. David was a man after God's own heart because he did the "little things" right—he looked after the sheep, he prayed, and he wrote psalms while no one was watching. Jesus is the ultimate King who was also rejected by men but chosen by God. We live out our purpose by being like David: humbly obeying and depending on Him in our daily work while He handles the big picture of His plan.
Additional Scripture
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.” 1 Samuel 16:6 ESV
Life Application You may feel like you are in a "dusty, smelly" season of life, doing mundane tasks that no one notices. Follow David’s example and do those tasks faithfully. Remember that God is looking at your heart and your obedience in the field, not just your performance on a stage.
Prayer points
Pray that your heart would be aligned with His heart.
Ask for patience to wait on Him as He works out His plans for your life.
Pray for the strength to be faithful in the hidden, everyday responsibilities.
Saturday: Valued by the Father
Gaining confidence for the future by reflecting on God’s detailed care for even the smallest parts of His creation.
Today's Verse Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31 ESV
Reflection It is a mystery why the mighty God of the universe chooses to use us in His great plans, but He does so because He loves and values us. Jesus taught that not even a tiny sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father’s knowledge. If He cares that much for a common bird, and if He has numbered the very hairs on your head, He certainly cares for every detail of your life. We do not need to fear the future or feel worthless, because we are of immense value to Him. This value is not earned; it is a gift from a Father who knows us completely.
Additional Scripture
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:29-30 ESV
Life Application When anxiety about your value or your survival creeps in, remember the sparrow. If God manages the life of a bird, He will manage yours. Trust His detailed care and set aside your fears, knowing you are deeply precious to Him.
Prayer points
Pray for freedom from the fear of what the future holds.
Thank the Father for His intimate knowledge of every detail of your life.
Ask for the grace to trust in His provision and care daily.
Sunday: Saved by Love
Anchoring our purpose in the ultimate expression of God’s love: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our eternal life.
Today's Verse For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
Reflection The ultimate proof of our value is the cross. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that we could have eternal life. He did not send the Son to condemn us, but to save us. This is the foundation of our purpose. When we believe in Him, we are invited into His amazing works. Our purpose is unlimited because God is the one doing the work through us. We can go into our week with confidence, knowing that we are loved, saved, and called to be right with God while He works out everything for His glory.
Additional Scripture
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:17 ESV
Life Application Let the truth of John 3:16 be your motivation today. Instead of trying to find value in your accomplishments, find it in the sacrifice of Jesus. Trust Him to work out your future and look for opportunities to share this saving love with someone who feels condemned.
Prayer points
Thank Him for the gift of His Son and the promise of eternal life.
Pray for the power to live a life that reflects His saving grace.
Ask for the wisdom to trust His purpose and glory above your own.