Your Daily Devotional for October 23, 2007

 

October 23,  2007

 

 

God's Purpose

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself."

 

Ephesians 1:7-9

 

 

Forty-five years ago, Hugh Morehead began a hobby of writing to famous philosophers, scientists, and authors asking them, "What is the purpose of life?" He is now the chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Northeastern University in Illinois. The responses he got back were depressing at best.

 

Isaac Asimov wrote back, "As far as I can see there is no purpose to life." Karl Jung, the Austrian psychiatrist, wrote, "I don't know what the meaning or the purpose of life is, but it looks like as if there were something meant by it." And Albert Ellis, the psychiatrist who invented RET therapy said, "As far as I can tell, life has no special or intrinsic meaning or purpose." Edward Gorny replied, "I doubt if there is one."

 

So many people today are searching for the meaning of life and yet are not finding it. They see life as mere existence, void of any purpose or meaning. But as Christians we know that God has a purpose for our lives. He doesn't want us to merely exist, but to fulfill His will for our lives.

 

Solomon indicated in the book of Ecclesiastes that if we do not understand the purpose of life, life will seem useless, tiresome, and unfulfilling. Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 says, "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?" God tells us that when we live without purpose and without God's will, it is all vanity! Today let's see that one purpose God has for our lives is that we be good witnesses of Him.

 

We must be good witnesses of Christ first of all, by the way we live. Many times we can be told that people are watching us, but do we truly believe that? Do we realize that people are forming their views of Christianity based on our lives? Even when it seems as if no one is around or no one cares what you do, there are others watching our testimony.

 

What we do reflects on Christ. The early believers were given the name "Christians" because, as the name means, they were "little Christs." When people saw how they lived and their purpose for living, they associated them with God. They witnessed through their testimonies to others around them.

 

We must also witness for God through soulwinning. We must designate a time each week that we go out and tell others of God's gift of salvation. Second Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God desires that the world would hear the Gospel and come to Him for salvation. His purpose in seeing that fulfilled is that we would be faithful witnesses of Him through our soulwinning.

 

Are you fulfilling God's purpose for your life in the area of witnessing? God wants us to be lights to those around us by the way we live. He also desires that we spend time each week telling others of His salvation. Ask God now to help you become a better witness for Him. Also, fulfill God's purpose for your life by living for God and telling others of Him today.

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

Jeremiah 1-2 • 1 Timothy 3

 

 

 

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