Purposeful Living

By Regina Shank
What is the goal? Sometimes the goal is to just get through the day.  I remember my grandmother telling me her favorite song was " One Day at a Time." She was a widow at age 50 with 9 children, 7 of whom were still living at home. She managed to raise them. She never remarried or learned to drive a car. But she lived to be 90 years old. She made it through 40 years without her husband, raising the children, managing a farm, and living life one day at a time.

But as admirable as that is, living one day at a time is not the goal.  What is the goal? I believe it's called "purpose". Every person who is born into this earth comes with a purpose to fulfill. Many live life without ever finding their ultimate purpose. There are pursuits that occupy time, jobs that keep us busy, and family that bring us joy, but many times purpose eludes us.  When I talk with someone who has spent their time ignoring their dreams, thinking they are unattainable, I recognize a person who has not attained their purpose. Inside every person, the Lord has written a destiny, a dream, to be walked out.

Psalms 139:15-17 tells us about that reality, "“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!”
Psalm 139:15-17 NIV

Those days ordained, planned for us, were written before we were born. How exciting is that!  Why am I here? That question has an answer. It's found in your relationship with Jesus Christ. He knew you before you were born, set you in this earth to make a difference, put dreams in your heart, gave you breath, and watches over you to bring you to fulfillment.  Of course, you have a choice to go your way and many do.  But, unfulfilled dreams make unfulfilled people!  It's never too late. Destiny can be delayed, but it's never denied.  The Lord is gracious to get us back on track when we ask.

"Seek and you will find, ask and it shall be given, knock and the door shall be opened."   Find that purpose, walk out that destiny, and live in the joy of knowing who you are, and why you exist.
Purpose starts with knowing Jesus and making Him known.  From there, we look at the dreams lodged in our heart.  Many of them appear to be impossible, but don’t forget, our God makes the impossible, possible.  I remember having a desire to go to nations.  I was a young mother with responsibilities that made those dreams look totally out of reach.  But the time came when they became reality.  Sometimes those dreams are for an appointed time.  Meanwhile believe that God can make those dreams a reality.
At one point in my journey, I was on my knees asking God when He was going to bring those dreams into reality.  It appeared a wall was in front of me that I couldn’t get over.  I told him, “Lord, I am tired of waiting.”  He spoke so tenderly, “You are my lady-in-waiting.” 
Then He said, “While you are waiting, wait on me with worship.  Spend time in my Presence.  You are waiting on my timing, but I am faithful to bring to pass all the dreams in your heart, for I placed them there, and at the right time, they will be fulfilled.” 
That experience was shortly before the dreams became reality.  I look back on it and see the faithfulness of God to do what He put in my heart.  Nations opened up to me and I have traveled to many places on assignments from heaven. 
Don’t give up on your dreams.  Yes, they are too big for you.  They are not too big for the Lord to bring forth in your life.  Meanwhile, spend time with Him.  He will birth the seeds of destiny within you in His time.  Remember the verse in Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made all things beautiful in its time.” 
​
Regina Shank