What Exactly Is Our Purpose In Life?

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Ah, the Great Commission. I haven’t written lately because I’ve been waiting on God to reveal what it is I need to say. You see, I want this blog to be about Jesus, and not about me. Well, He has brought me to this command in scripture 2 days in a row from 2 different sources. The first was yesterday in church hearing about discipleship. Today while seeking God on what to write about, He led me to an article on the internet about submitting to God’s authority over our lives and seeking His purposes in our lives. This scripture was used as reference. While I realize these are popular verses, it caught my attention. And as I’ve said before, my writings are as much for me as for anyone else out there.

This command sums up the questions I have for you from the thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head for a few days. Did you accept Jesus to receive your “get out of jail free card”? Check that off the list. Whew, now that I’ve gotten that whole I’m going to heaven thing out of the way I can get back to MY life. Or are you truly seeking Him as Lord of your life? What evidence do we have that Jesus is making a difference in our lives? Every Christian must dedicate themselves to serving Jesus Christ. We must submit to His purposes in our lives.

Before I go any further, let me make it perfectly clear. The acts of service we perform do NOT get us into heaven. That would make it about us. The only way to God and an eternity with Him in heaven is through Jesus and the blood He shed for us. It is all about Jesus. Always has been, always will be. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9. The acts of service we perform are from the fruits we bear through the Holy Spirit that comes upon us once we’ve allowed Jesus into our lives.

Ok, now back to the Great Commission. This is the single most important command Jesus gives to us. Tell people the good news about Him.  We have the most important news in our hearts.  How can we not want to share that with others?  Doesn't everyone deserve to hear about Jesus?  Think about it, did WE deserve to be told about the life giving power of Jesus?  What makes us any different than anyone else?  There should be an urgency about us to share Jesus with the lost.  Are we so caught up in our own little worlds that we don't think about eternity?  Do all the activities, careers, chores, etc. really matter in the end?  No way! 

So, what exactly is our purpose in life? It’s to grow the Kingdom of God. It is to share the truth of Jesus with everyone we meet. Scary, huh? My heart beats faster just thinking about that. Everyone is different, but these are a few things I’ve been doing to bring myself closer to the command before me.

1. Prayer. Lots of prayer. One of my prayers is that my love for Jesus will be greater than my fear of what others think. Another is asking God for His courage.
2. Being in the Word. I don’t have a particular scripture here to share, although there are many goods one. Just spend time with God by reading His Word.
3. As I’ve mentioned in this blog, love, love, love. I ask Jesus daily to show me how to have His love for others. When we love someone, we want what’s best for them. Even when they’re strangers.

I’ll leave you with this for now. Hopefully this was just enough to get us all thinking and wanting to seek a closer relationship with Jesus and to obey His greatest command for us.

Blessings, Karen