This week we will finish our portion of the series on Purpose and next week we will return to cover Challenges that will span a few weeks as we discover our identity in the face of the storms that rage in this life. . .
Back to Romans 12:2
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Last week we focused on conforming, this week we will focus on testing and discerning and the will of God concerning our identity. In order to find out who we are we all encounter a multitude of tests, for example when we apply for jobs they might administer an aptitude test (Less common now, but at one time these were a big thing), we could take personality tests, even exams in college can be a reflection of our character and identity. No two people were created exactly the same and God tests us all and challenges us all in a variety of different ways to bring out the best in us, through bringing out the worst. The way I can explain this is thinking back on my marriage and how God has changed and challenged us was by bringing out the absolute worst in the both of us, it was only after we faced the truth could we then be renewed and transformed. You must encounter trials and tests in order to find out who you are and through the muck and mire God forms a beautiful masterpiece of our character. Through this testing God reveals Himself to us and reveals His will for us. . . we must however search and in seeking find the Lord at all times.
The will of God is so vast that I cannot even really do it justice in any commentary, suffice to say if you have encountered God's will you know about it, you know what I am saying. If you have not encountered the amazing, overwhelming density of God's will this part will be vague. . . In seeking God's will we must confront the bad in us, we must identify sin and seek to eradicate it or we will be living outside of the will of God. That is blunt and to the point but this next statement will be more so, outside of the will of God you cannot blame God for your problems, troubles, lack of connection with Him, etc. because it is an active choice you have made to disobey and live outside of His will. When the bad happens (it will I have a multitude of experiences to testify to this), you have no one to blame but yourself. Ok, that out on the table we must face that to move forward or we will remain in a self pity cycle that is pathetic and ineffective for our purpose.
Your purpose and mine and all children of the living God, essentially is to bring Him glory, how this works is different with each individual. The following are not your sole purpose, and if you make them that they will harm your overall purpose, to some degree they can attribute to your overall purpose, but in and of themselves they can and will be empty if you seek to find your identity in these alone: Your job, your children, your marriage, your "status" in life, personal goals, school, fill in the blank. . . All of these can be a part of your purpose to bring God glory but ultimately you are defined by much more than all of these. First and foremost you are a child of God a study could be done on this. . but essentially my point is that in discovering our purpose we must always seek the face of the Lord not any title we hold or status we may have.
I pray that God's purpose of bringing Him glory, Serving others, and Spreading the Gospel would be a whirlwind that sweeps us away and that we would fall in love with knowing Him.
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