Sent by God
Discovering Your Purpose and Mission
Friends, I want to share something with you today that I believe will change how you see your everyday life and calling. Let's start with one of the most dramatic conversion stories in Scripture—the transformation of Saul on the Damascus Road.
Saul was traveling with one clear agenda - to hunt down and imprison followers of Jesus. But then a blinding light stops him in his tracks, literally knocking him to the ground. In that moment, everything changed. His mission was completely transformed, and even his identity shifted—from Saul the persecutor to Paul the apostle.
This isn't just an amazing Bible story. It reveals a fundamental truth for every one of us: God wants to meet us personally, transform us completely, and then send us out with purpose.
Four Essential Truths About Your Divine Purpose
1. God Has Sent Every Believer with a Clear Purpose and Mission
Let me be clear about something - this calling isn't reserved for pastors, missionaries, or seminary graduates. If you're a follower of Christ, you've been commissioned. Period. Paul puts it beautifully in 2 Corinthians 5:20: "We are ambassadors who represent Christ."
When Jesus confronted Saul, He called him by name. God knows your name too. He knows your story, your gifts, your circumstances, and exactly where He wants to place you for maximum kingdom impact.
Whether you're leading a corporation, raising children, serving customers, or teaching students - God has positioned you there intentionally. You're His representative in that specific sphere of influence. Ephesians 2:10 confirms this beautiful truth: "We are God's accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we would live our lives."
The same Holy Spirit that empowered Isaiah's prophetic ministry and transformed Paul's life is available to guide you in your mission right now.
2. Our Mission Centers on Hope-Filled Transformation
So what exactly is this mission we've been given? Simply put, we're agents of transformation. We bring light into dark places, healing where there's brokenness, and freedom where people are in bondage.
Here's the theological foundation: God doesn't call us for the sake of our own comfort or benefit. He calls us because the world desperately needs something we have already found – hope, healing, freedom from sin, and the forgiveness that comes through Jesus. People need to see Christ, and they need to see Him in and through us.
Isaiah 43:19 captures this perfectly: "Look, I am doing a new thing. I am making a way in the desert and paths in the wilderness." When you encounter Jesus, God begins doing something new in your life—and it's a lifelong journey of growth and transformation.
Even when we can't see the complete picture of what's ahead, we can trust that God walks with us every step of the way. Christ's light illuminates our next step, even when the path seems impossible or unclear.
3. Transformation Focuses on Your Present and Future, Not Your Past
This is crucial for us to understand - God calls us forward into who we are and who we're becoming, not backward into who we were. When the light of Christ shines on us like it did for Saul, we become new people, not just for that moment, but for all our tomorrows.
Isaiah uses a powerful image, describing the transformed as "oaks of righteousness" - massive, strong trees. However, remember that every giant oak begins as a tiny seed that grows gradually over time. Your spiritual growth follows the same pattern. You won't become a mighty oak overnight, and that's perfectly fine.
Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that "the old is gone." While you might remember your former life, God tells you not to camp out there. Look forward instead. You've been changed. You are new. God has encountered you and given you fresh purpose.
As a church, our mission isn't just creating comfortable Sunday experiences or nice programs. We're in the business of transformed lives - meeting people exactly where they are and allowing Christ to work through us. Sometimes this means getting uncomfortable, rolling up our sleeves, and getting involved in the messy work of ministry. The authentic life of a church isn't meant to be neat, easy, or safe – it places us among people, trusting Jesus to shine His love through us.
4. Our Calling Has One Ultimate Purpose: Glorifying God
Everything we do, everywhere God sends us, is designed to display His glory –to show our world what God is doing and wants to continue doing.
This isn't about showcasing our abilities or drawing attention to ourselves. It's about people seeing Jesus in us. It's about what God desires to accomplish in and through His church.
Consider Paul's story again - a former persecutor who became Christianity's greatest proclaimer. The man who had been destroying the church became its most passionate advocate. Only God could orchestrate such a complete transformation, and it was all for His glory, not Paul's reputation.
Living This Out Practically
The same Jesus who transformed a persecutor into an apostle is calling you to step into the bright light He has prepared specifically for you.
The question isn't whether God has called you - He absolutely has.
The question isn't whether your life has purpose - it definitely does.
The real question is this: Will you step into Christ's transforming light and allow it to redirect your life?
I want to challenge you with some questions to consider this week:
- Where am I in my spiritual journey? Do I need to meet Jesus in a genuine, life-changing way for the first time?
- What areas of my life need God's transforming grace? Where do I need His power to work?
- Am I willing to go where God is sending me? Am I open to reaching the people and places He's calling me to impact?
- How can I be more intentional about representing Christ? What would it look like to live as His ambassador in my daily contexts?
Remember,
We have been blessed so we can be a blessing to others.
We have been loved so we can love.
We have been forgiven so we can forgive.
Your mission field is wherever God has placed you today. Your calling is real, your purpose is significant, and your God is ready to work through you in ways that will amaze you.
Steven E Fairbanks
Steven E Fairbanks
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