Four Ways to Embrace Your Purpose
What is purpose?
Purpose is why God placed each of us here on earth. Our purpose is always related to serving others. If we are in service, we must be in faith that we are in the right place at the right time. In other words, we must be aware that we are strategically placed. And that’s why we should see our circumstances, no matter where we find ourselves today, as an opportunity for God’s purposes to be revealed. Here are four ways to build your faith about your God-given purpose.
1. See yourself as strategically placed
Strategy is a plan or a method to accomplish a desired end. As Believers, we have the privilege of taking part in God’s strategic plan. The Book of Esther is a perfect illustration of how one woman’s individual purpose was woven into God’s eternal strategy. Esther was strategically placed. And her cousin Mordecai reminded Esther of this truth when he said, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this “(Esther 4:14).
Others may have thought she became the king’s wife because of her beauty. They may have thought she came to be queen because of her cousin’s connections with the king’s chamberlain. But Esther realized that God placed her in her circumstances for a greater purpose than attaining high status, living in beautiful surroundings, and wearing pretty clothes. She understood that she was strategically positioned to do something others couldn’t.
And you? Are there things that others can’t do for God, because they’re not in your place? Others may look at you and think you are where you are because of your education, intelligence or connections. But that’s not how our God works. You are able to do what others can’t, because they are not in your place. And that leads us to the second point: Purpose can’t wait for you to get where you think you should be. Purpose is now.
2. Connect your purpose to where you are today
You’ll never be a person of purpose if you’re just passing through. God has specifically positioned you to take part in His strategy. Whatever you’re doing right now, that’s success waiting to happen. In the story of Esther, we read that at the hour of her purpose, the king had not summoned Esther for 30 days.
Although Esther had a position in the court, for whatever reason, she was not in day-to-day contact with the king. From her perspective, her position was not perfect. It could have been better if she had been in more recent contact with the king. But she had a position – she was still queen. Esther didn’t try to wriggle out of her mission and wait for a better time. Because she was connected to God’s purpose of saving the Jewish people, risking her life, she approached the king at just the right time. Let’s now consider our third point: Purpose will sometimes require us to take risks.
3. Be willing to risk everything
Today most Christians don’t live in cultures, as Esther did, that call for them to put their lives on the line. But we do face the loss of our reputations, rejection, and failure.
Esther could have lost her life by approaching the king without an invitation. Short of losing her life, she could have been banished from the king’s presence for her misconduct of approaching him uninvited. That would have meant a loss of reputation. Although not comparable to the loss of life, the loss of our good name can be particularly distressing when it’s unjust and beyond our control. For example, your purpose may be to home school your children and your friends don’t approve. You have lost your standing with them. Of course, loss of reputation is often inter-twined with rejection by others.
The king could have rejected Esther. Being rejected because of our purpose may be the most unnerving of all the risks. Have you ever talked yourself out of sharing the Gospel, applying for a job, or undertaking an educational program because you feared being rejected? You may have even experienced a physical sensation of extreme discomfort. We must overcome the risk of rejection to experience our purpose. The looming possibility of failure is another risk we must be willing to take.
From Esther’s limited perspective, failure was a possibility. The king could have sided with his advisors and had the Jews put to death. Whether we fail publicly or privately it’s unsettling. If we have been open and visible in our purpose, failure may even feel like the death of our purpose. But God is bigger than our failures. Our purposes are central to His will. He causes all things to work together for good. Sometimes it’s only a matter of timing.
4. Be willing to wait for the appointed time
Be aware that some aspects of purpose are not revealed until God’s appointed time. Esther was not in the limelight at her appointed time. She had been sequestered with the rest of the king’s wives, going about her daily routine. Have you ever been in the wilderness of the day-to-day grind wondering what in the world God has in store for you? Don’t give up and think you have it all wrong! Stay steady and confident that as God’s strategy unfolds, your purpose will be further revealed. And now to summarize:
The Book of Esther contains mystery, intrigue, and romance, but most importantly it demonstrates what we must do to embrace our God-given purpose:
• See yourself as strategically placed
• Connect your purpose to where you are today
• Be willing to risk everything
• Be willing to wait for the appointed time
What step will you take today to embrace your purpose? Esther saved a nation. Rouse yourself to embrace your position and purpose in God’s eternal strategy.
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