Living on Purpose

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ⁵“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5

We are all here for a reason, created by God for a purpose.  No one is here by accident; we all matter to God.  The call story of Jeremiah is powerful because it implies that God had created him to be a prophet, he was set apart prior to his birth for God's purposes.  I believe this is true for each of us.  The difficulty for many is that divine declarations such as this are rather uncommon.  Very rarely does God issue edicts from on high that are easily understood and followed.  Instead we each must discern God's call in our life.  We each must discover who God created us to be.  For some this journey takes a lifetime, while others know very early. 
The key to discovering our purpose is to truly believe that we are here for a reason, that our life has significance. A second step is to find our passion or gift.  God has created us just the way we are and for a reason.  We get into trouble when we compare ourselves to others or try to be something we are not.  God made you the way you are and not like someone else.  Finally, when we connect our gifts and passions to helping others we often find our purpose.  God made us who we are for a reason and that reason is to love and serve others.  When we employ our whole selves for the sake of others--in whatever form it may take--we are fulfilling our purpose. 
For Jeremiah this meant becoming a prophet who would speak God's word to God's people.  He would comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.  His words would not be popular but he would change hearts and lives.  So it is with us.  When we discover God's purpose for our life we are not guaranteed riches or comfort, an easy life or acclaim.  But we will discover who we are and find deep fulfillment.  We will be tested and go through hardship, but we will emerge as God's people.  May we become God's people, bringing forth light and life into a dark, troubled, and broken world.