We live in a world full of people striving for success…people seeking freedom, significance, and recognition. We too, live our lives seeking these things. We live under the illusion that achievement brings fulfillment; but, none of these things prove to be as fulfilling as we thought they would be. At some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced the emptiness that achievement can bring. We thought that whatever it was would fill us, maybe even complete us. But the truth is that we are only complete in Christ. And without Him guiding our lives, we will always be missing something.
So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:10 NLT)
Actually, what we’re really searching for is purpose. We’re searching for the thing that gives us a reason to breath on this earth. We’re searching for ourselves. I honestly feel that this is the dilemma at the root of what many of us go through. We feel the pressure to be someone, to achieve something, but deep down, we know we’ve been called to something more—something more than success, something more than what we can do in our own strength. And it’s true. God has called each of us to go beyond the boundaries of what seems possible. He has called us to step outside of who we are now, so that we can become who He has created us to be.
Maybe you’re reading this now, and you’ve been having these same thoughts. Maybe you’re at a standstill, and you have no idea what to do in life. Or maybe it’s the complete opposite. Maybe you’re successful, at the height of your career, but you know deep down that there’s more for you. Regardless of where you are now, the feelings are the same. Because success has nothing to do with purpose. At the end of the day, you’re at the same crossroads. Will you continue to live seeking success, or will you choose purpose? Will you run after achievement, or will you bring glory to your Father in heaven? Will you live to impress others, or will you seek to become you…the person you really are…the person He created you to be?
Your answers to these questions will change the trajectory of your life. They are the difference between living in the pursuit of happiness, and living with true joy. They are the difference between living in temporary satisfaction, and living a life of fulfillment. If you want the latter…if you want true joy, if you want to be fulfilled…choose Christ. Choose His plan over your own. Choose to become you. But what does that entail?
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 NLT)
Becoming you means that you will have to give up your own way.
God’s plans for you are so vast, but do you have room to receive the vision that He wants to give you? Many times, we are so full of what we want for our lives, that we leave no room for God to speak to us. But we must remember that His thoughts are nothing like our thoughts, and His ways are far beyond our ways. We can’t possibly think up a plan for our life that’s comparable to His. We will never be able to achieve God’s purpose with our own plan.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT)
If we want the thoughts and ways of God to manifest in our lives, we must make room for them. We have to do as Jesus said, and give up our own way. We must be willing to take up our own cross, and follow Him. This means that the journey will come with sacrifice.
Becoming you might mean leaving something you love behind.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (Matthew 16:24-25 NLT)
According to Jesus, sacrifice is the only way to become a follower of His. This, is how we participate in bringing glory to our Father in heaven. Jesus is our example.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,..(Philippians 2:6-9 NLT)
Jesus gave up everything, for you and me. His choice saved our lives, and this is how he glorified His Father in heaven. If we want to be used by God, if we want to live in purpose, we must be willing to do the same.
There are so many examples of men and women being called in the bible. And each of them, had to leave something behind. Just think of the disciples. They had a life before Christ. They had careers, they had plans. I’m sure they had dreams. But when Jesus stepped on the scene, and asked them to follow Him, He required them to leave their previous lives behind.
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20 NLT)
The same was true for Elisha, the great prophet. When we read through his story in 1 Kings 19, we see that he left everything behind to be Elijah’s assistant.
And let’s not forget Abraham, the father of our faith. God called him to leave everything that he knew behind to go to an unknown place. A place that would one day become the promised land.
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4 NLT)
Abraham, Elisha, and the disciples left everything behind by faith. They had no idea what God had in store for them. They had no idea whether or not they were making the right decision. But they had faith in the One they were with. They had faith that their God would protect them. They had faith that He would provide for them. They had faith that He would be with them. And they had faith that His plan, was better than their own.
Becoming you will require a leap of faith.
It might require you to step outside of your comfort zone…to do something that you’ve never done before. Maybe that leap of faith is surrendering your thoughts on your life or situation. Maybe He wants you to give up your views, so that He can show you His. Maybe that leap of faith is leaving behind the plan that you’ve created. Maybe God wants to do something even greater through you…but He can’t do it if you’re clinging to the life that you have now. Maybe the leap of faith is surrendering your personality. Are you allowing your personality to direct your path? What if God wants you to step outside of your natural inclinations? What if He wants to transform you into someone that will change the world?
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NLT)
We have no idea of the plans that God has for us. We don’t have the ability to see what He has seen. We don’t have the ability to know what He knows. But we can allow Him to lead us there. We can make the decision to let Him guide our lives. And this is what we must do…if we want to become who He has called us to be.
Are you searching for the fullness of who you really are? If so, it starts with Him. It starts with the One that called you before you were in your mother’s womb. He, is the only one that can lead you to the purpose that He created you for. But you must do your part. You must make the decision to lay down your life. You must make the decision to sacrifice your own way, your own thoughts, ideas, and plans. This is how you make room for Him in your life. This is how you receive his plan…his purpose…your destiny. This is how you become you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for breathing life into me. Thank you for the purpose that you’ve place on my life. Thank you for giving me the ability to bring glory to your name. I know that living in purpose requires sacrifice. I know that reaching my destiny will require me to give up my own way, so that I can walk in yours. So today, I am making the decision to lay down my life. I am making the decision to let go of my desires, so that I can receive the plan that you have for me. I have faith that as I release my dreams, you will fill me with new ones. And I know that what you have for me is so much better. I can’t wait to see your plans manifest in my life. I love you Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Comments