Purpose, our heart’s desire

Purpose – the reason for which something exists. Break the word apart and you get pur – a latin prefix signifying forward or forth and pose – put in place to set forth. So, for what am I posed to go forth, or what is my purpose? Do I have one set purpose? Does it change or evolve over time? Scripture boils it down to this: love and serve the Lord. We hear that often and we may even say it frequently. But what does that really mean? I see caution tape as I think this through for it may appear that our purpose is to “do” like Martha and that might lead to equating purpose with accomplishment.

I believe that God places in each of our hearts a distinct purpose, unique only to us; our God given purpose. If our hearts are created with this distinct and unique purpose, then maybe those desires and inclinations of our heart are really an extension of God’s purpose within us. There is a teenager I know who has an incredible gift of working with special needs children. I have had the privilege of watching her interact, teach, and most importantly, love them. When the children see her they light up, and when she sees them she lights up! There is this magical like, inexplainable connection between this teen and the children with whom she spends time. It is a beautiful display of her God given gift as she operates, knowingly or unknowingly, out of the desires of her heart. I find it fascinating that the desires of the heart seem to flow more unobstructedly in the young. Maybe they have accumulated less inhibitors.

Back to the caution tape… “The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water, he turns it whenever he wills” (Proverbs 21:1). Is my heart in the Lord’s hands for Him to direct? For if I direct my purpose, it is very possible that my purpose may be misaligned. My purpose may be driven or influenced by everything other than by the Lord. And, if that is the case, chances are I have assumed Martha’s role. Do we listen to the cries of our heart or do we dismiss and silence them because they sound crazy, or we fear what others will say, or do we believe there’s just no way it could be done or no way we could accomplish that? Imagine if St. Paul allowed these things, these inhibitors, to overcome him after his blinding experience on the road to Damascus. Imagine what wouldn’t have been.

What if we never realize our purpose because we are to afraid to live it? Have you ever wondered what wasn’t because we didn’t – we didn’t live our purpose? I don’t want to miss the very purpose for which I was created. I wish I would have understood this earlier in life. “The purpose of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5).

Oh Lord, help us to sit by the deep waters of our heart and help us to draw out, embrace and fully live our purpose – the very essence of who we were created to be, the very reason our hearts were fashioned.