In my last Blog I briefly looked at the question “Who am I?”, with your permission I would like to continue this theme, by looking at the next logical question, “What’s my purpose?”. How long has mankind sought the answer to the question “What is the meaning of life!”. Even science fiction writers use the question as the theme to books and films. Such as Douglas Adams in his science fantasy book/radio series/TV series “The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy”, in which a huge and ultimately large computer called “Deep Thought” was built to answer the “Ultimate question of life, the universe and everything” after 7 million years of thinking it came up with the answer 42, which, as it turns out, was wrong. This is of course very funny, but meaningless. So what could the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything be? Well let’s have a look at the scriptures to see if we can get some clues to the real answer of “What’s my purpose?”.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Genesis 1:26
To Reflect the Image of God
God made us in his Image; Why? We will have ask him when we meet him. But I suspect part of His reason was so that non believers would see Him in us. God is Love(1 John 4:8), Holiness (Isaiah 6:3) and Righteousness (Psalm 4:1, Psalm 7:9, Psalm 7:11…..). We are fallen, sinful and as filthy rags; so how can we reflect God’s Image! In our own strength we can’t! BUT God loves us so much that he gave us a way. He sent his son Jesus to be a one time sacrifice for all our sins, and, for those of us that believe this, we are covered in Jesus’ Righteousness and Jesus’ Love and we have the deposit of the Holy Spirit to help us live holy lives. So in His strength we can now make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him (2 Peter 3:14). So that everyone can see Holiness, Love and Righteousness, and see how attractive it is, and may be start believing in Jesus.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 23:37-40
To Love God and Your Neighbour
Our primary purpose is to love, praise and worship God. Not because God is lonely, He has always had the Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit), he does not need our love at all. But rather he loved us first (1 John 4:19) so our response is to love him, and through that we gain the gracious gift of eternal life with Him (John 3:16). But nearly as importantly our purpose is also to love our neighbour, if we love our neighbor how can we hurt our neighbour, how can we go to war against our neighbor! The Kingdom of God is based on love, by definition God is love (1 John 4:8). If we love our neighbor we therefore reflect the image of God, then joy and peace reign instead of war and strife, both on the personal and global stage.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Make Disciples of all Nations
This is more of a purpose for the Church, the Bride of Christ, rather than an individual purpose for you/me. Though you/I do have a part to play in this, to be near as possible to and Image of God (Genesis 1:26 & 27). Be that in my work place, or with my mates in the pub, for some this also means stood on street corners of local cities and villages, evangelising or handing out fliers. For a very select few, stood on the world stage preaching to nations. But for me personally?
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Genesis 1:27-31
Be fruitful and increase in number.
That seems fairly clear, but if you read on in the scriptures God is most definitely not talking about indiscriminate sin. We are made in the image of the Trinity, or the family of God. We are to love one another and marry man to woman, to have children, who will marry other children and producing more children and so on. After all, we are in the Family of God, with Jesus at our head, which we mirror in our families. If we look at the whole of 1 Corinthians 7 We see the perfect model of Man and Wife in a perfect life long, loving relationship. This is the ground work for us to be fruitful and increase in number with children that will learn from our model of marriage, and how we reflect God’s image. It is our purpose to have children and to bring them up in the family of God and teach them of the perfect relationship.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
God’s purpose for individuals
So far we have looked at some of our corporate purpose(s), or the purpose(s) of the body of the Church. But a body is made of many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-20), but no part of the body is more important than any other (1 Corinthians 12:21-26) and we each have a part to play (1 Corinthians 12:27). You/I may be a foot, or hand or an eye, but we each have a purpose to fulfil and without one part, the whole body fails. You/I may be hand, or a foot or an ear, I don’t know; but God does, you and I are an indispensable part of God’s overall plan. Do be assured God has an individual purpose(s) for YOU! and he will reveal it at the right time(s).