What do you call a purpose? A prospered man thought that he had a purpose when he had an abundance of resources at his disposal. He had amassed massive resources to cater to the needs of several days ahead so he was satisfied that his hard work yielded those fruits. He thought that he now had something to live for – a purpose. He was rich.
The money. The acclaim and fame. The successes. The sales. The fans on social media. Hope they constitute the purpose that we seek.
There is a dimension of wealth that many people do not know. And that is the dimension that confers true purpose. Being rich towards God is that dimension. The man in our story was rich physically but he wasn’t rich towards God. He died eventually, leaving every single accomplishment and piece of wealth behind. ‘A pauper, he stood at the judgement. His debts were too heavy to pay’ – the debts of his sins, which had not been dealt with while he was alive! You can imagine where he is now. Yes, don’t pretend; you know where he should be now! “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36 NLT)
Living an effective life of purpose is way beyond everything that this life can offer. It is beyond just committing oneself to a cause. It is beyond ‘making it in life’. It is beyond having the applause of people.
I have a family. I work I run my business. I have a career. I have fame and money. I own properties here and there. I have investments. I have good and faithful friends. Aimless. “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” (1 Corinthians 15:19 NLT)
There is life beyond the grave so our hope should transcend this life. Our purpose should include knowing God through Jesus Christ experientially. It should involve walking daily with God in His fellowship, obedience to His Word and Will, deliberately shunning all forms and shades of sin and unrighteousness, and living with eternity in view. That is a purposeful life. “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:17 NLT)