Living With Purpose: Week 4
Welcome to the series Living With Purpose in Every Season! If you missed the other posts in this series, you can find them here:
Week 1: Silent Seasons
Week 2: Seasons of Blessings
Week 3: Seasons to Stop
And now for WEEK 4: Seasons of Uncertainty
Some people just seem to know the direction for their life. For me, it is a constant learning curve. Just when I think I have it figured out, God seems to redirect me a different way. In some ways it’s exciting and other ways it brings frustration and a constant string of questions about my calling.
What next?
What now?
How long?
How much time do I wait?
When do I take a leap of faith?
When do I settle into my calling?
What is my purpose?
God is continually forming and shaping the direction of my life. I wish I could tell you that it’s been a crystal clear journey with a planned agenda.
I wish I could show you how I set goals, and crossed finish lines with flags waving in the breeze as I cross over to the side of completion.
But for me, God’s calling often looks like a tiny trembling step today, and a constant season of waiting for God’s direction for tomorrow.
The best way I can describe it is the way the Psalmist says it in Psalm 119:105.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
As I boarded the plane and settled into my seat, they dimmed the cabin lights. I reached for a book from my bag and tried to read but the light was too dim to see clearly. I reached up and pushed the button for my personal reading light. The light shined just enough for me, but not so much that the person next to me was irritated by my light. If she wanted to read too, she would need to reach up and press her personal light button so she could see the words in her own book.
That’s the way God’s direction is for me. It’s not something I can mooch off of a friend or teacher. It’s something I have to find myself.
It takes me seeking God personally, and Him revealing His path for me individually.
Sometimes when we see other people thriving in their callings or excelling in their lives, we lose sight of the light God is shining for our path and we get distracted and feel like our light is dim.
The truth is that God’s direction and light in our lives is always accessible. It’s up to us to reach up and access the Light personally.
If you’ve felt uncertain or struggled to see the next step of the journey, here are a few things to remember about God our Light:
1. God does not condemn.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:17 (ESV)
When we are feeling less than certain about the way God is directing, the enemy begins to plant seeds of doubt and confusion in our hearts and minds. We begin to feel guilty for the lack of clarity and convince ourselves we aren’t worthy to complete the calling that lays ahead of us.
Condemnation was covered at the cross. When condemnation begins to fade our view and obstruct our direction, we must rest in the assurance of the cross. Jesus already paid the price for our sin. Confess it. And be forgiven. Living a life of condemnation is living in the shadow of sin that has already been taken care of. It’s time to move into the Light.
2. God convicts.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. John 16:8 (ESV)
If you feel God’s conviction about something in your life, don’t be afraid, be confident to change. Conviction is a beautiful gift from the Holy Spirit that reminds us the right way to go. When God illuminates where to turn, let it be. When you turn back and realize how far you’ve come, you will praise Him for the victory.
3. God calls.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. I Thessalonians 5:24 (ESV)
Many times the directions God calls us to is difficult. Living a holy life is not something that comes easy to most of us. But Paul reminds the believers at Thessalonica that if God called them to it, He would see them through it. It’s the same for us!
4. God comforts.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. II Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)
I don’t know about you, but I often need comfort as I take steps of obedience. I’m constantly asking God to be with me. I know He will never leave me, but in my flesh, I still feel the need to ask for His presence constantly. I’m so thankful He is my Comfort even though sometimes I fail to follow the Light.
As we continue Living With Purpose in Every Season this week, let’s look for the Light.
If we individually seek Him, we will individually find Him.
What verse is God using in your life to illuminate His purpose for you?
What is God is teaching you about your purpose?
I would love to hear your thoughts and find out what God is doing in your life. Leave a comment and share this with someone you love!
Love & Blessings,
Micah