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Your Purpose in Life

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Let's be honest...we all have questions we'd like to throw God's way - right? And it's not like it comes as a big surprise to Him either, because as you know, He knows everything. So when those questions pop up in your mind, they pop up in His face.

I have a question for you. What questions do you have for God? For most folks, they range from the 'big' issues like suffering and disease all the way down to why we have acne...or maybe that's suffering and disease too?

Anyway, when I get to heaven I'm sure 99% of my questions will be answered on the spot, but there is one that sort of lingers in my brain that I'd like to get the answer to. It goes something like this:

Dear God,
After I trusted Christ, why did you leave me here on earth?

Thanks,
Your Child

Think about how great that would be. You trust Christ and BOOM...you are out like me in dodgeball (I was the 'PE challenged' kid in elementary school). No more struggling with sin and waiting around to die, just instant transportation to the greatest place in the universe with the Creator of the universe.

But...that's not reality. God left us here for a reason, and it becomes our mission to discover what that is and carry it out with the time we have left.

There are many Christians who make this 'reason' out to be like some big mystery and secret. Books are written and videos are made that supposedly help us discover God's will and purpose.

I have good news for you...save your time and money because I think I can answer the big "why did God leave me here" issue for you in three words:

The Great Commission

These three words are the title given to the last words that Jesus gave to his disciples:

Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

OK, so the words "great" and "commission" aren't in this passage, but you can be sure that's the idea behind it. It's "great" because this is the greatest mission ever given, and it's a "commission" because according to the dictionary, a commission is the " act of granting certain powers or the authority to carry out a particular task or duty."

This is why God left us here. He granted us His power and authority to use the time we have left to make sure nobody gets left behind or left out of heaven. The really cool part is that He promises to be with us "always" - which in the original language means "the whole of every day" - whether we feel like it or not, He is right there, cheering on our efforts to bring people to meet their Savior. Also, it's important to remember that when Jesus says "go," He doesn't necessarily mean that you have to make any special trips. The word "go" here can be translated "as you go," so in other words - as you live your life, live life so that people in your life can find eternal life.

So what does all this mean? It means that all of your existence should be paintbrush strokes creating a picture for all to see that boldly and loudly proclaims:

"God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you!"

Sure, we have questions for God. But I think God has a bigger question for you:

Dear Child,
How is your picture coming?

Your Savior,
Jesus

Head: What you need to know about this truth

The Great Commission is the title of Jesus' last words from Matthew 28:18-20, and it is also our purpose in life, which is to help bring people into a relationship with God.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

A man named Frederick Buechner said:

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet...

The world's deep hunger is to reconnect with the One who made them and loves them so much that He died for them. Your deep gladness should come from seeing people trust Christ and follow Him. If you don't have this deep gladness, you may need to do a 'heart check' and remember that apart from Christ, people are doomed to a horrible eternity...what on earth could give us more gladness than helping rescue people from the fires of Hell?

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Take the 48 Hour Challenge.