*It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point – ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.”Romans 12:2 (NLT)
*Rick Warren - Purpose Driven Life – Day 1
It is important that just as we try to find purpose for our individual lives we must find purpose in our ministries as well. Today I want to challenge us to look at how we do ministry differently. Too often our ministries are self-serving and lack purpose. “Where there is no vision (purpose) the people perish.” Prov. 29:18.
At times we get so caught up in every little aspect of ministry that we lose sight of that very purpose for which we exist. I feel that this is a crossroad that we are facing here at the Refuge and probably throughout many ministries within the United States. We continually look for ways to meet the needs and preferences of the people we are trying to serve, however at the same time we allow that to become our focus. Slowly it begins to control us, as the original purpose of the ministry fades in the back ground. In the end the ministry will find itself as just another self-serving social club.
The very ministry that God set before us to set us free has now become just another form of bondage.
Culture around us has raised a generation of self-serving individuals who are primarily concerned with their own desires and needs, with little to no care for things that truly matter. Distortion has set in, and Satan has blinded the minds of God’s people from truly seeing genuine purpose.
We were born by His purpose and for His purpose.
“Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.” – 2 Tim. 2:7 (NIV)
Many of our ministries have become just that – a “dead end”. We must regain purpose in our ministries, and it starts by reshaping the way we live, minister, and serve. God’s purpose MUST be the fuel that drives us, and each and every one of us must continually evaluate how we pursue that purpose. We MUST alleviate all access baggage so that we might be able to fully commit ourselves to His purpose. And once again it starts with reshaping. Every individual person within that ministry has the ability to be shaped into God’s image so that we might be able to fulfill His purpose.
In John chapter 13 we see a beautiful picture of one of Christ’s final messages to His Disciples, and it is the picture of a life of servant hood through feet washing.
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, YOU ALSO ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example.” John 13:14,15
Our purpose needs to be one of a life of servant hood. We must refrain from our selfish desires and turn to a life of service where Christ is our ultimate example. We are to be His hands, feet, and mouth piece to this dying world. Let us set aside our differences, and live by His purpose, and for His Purpose.
*Consider Having a Feet Washing Ceremony
Won’t you join with me in this bond and covenant of a life of servant hood, fully sold out for the cause of Christ?
