What Is My Purposeنموونە

God speaks in many ways

Hebrews 1:1-2a- God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,

God speaks in a variety of ways. How God speaks to you depends on your personality and the way that God has designed you. It could be very different from the way that he speaks to someone else. Since people have different experiences with this, we cannot make a general rule that works for everyone.

The most common, however, which many have experienced, is through reading the Bible. A verse jumps out at us as we read as an answer to our situation. The interpretation of the verse that comes to us might not technically be the right one, but it answers our questions or gives us a solution. While interpretation should normally be based on context and not on emotion, God uses unorthodox ways to communicate.

The next important way God speaks is through the sermons of individuals. It was while listening to my pastor speaking that I heard God telling me that I had not made the commitment the pastor was asking for. This sealed the commitment that began my walk with God. Again, I may have misunderstood what the preacher was saying, but it was God speaking to me.

Another way I have experienced God speaking is through a nagging thought that comes into my mind. It comes from nowhere but carries with it a strong conviction that it is from God. For example, once while I was walking to the bus stop to catch my bus to the office, I heard God telling me (not an audible voice) to go back home. There were no mobile phones in those days and I wondered what I would tell my wife when I reached home. But I listened to what God said and went back to find that a person that I had led to a commitment and who lived far away had come to meet with me. Because I went back, I was able to spend time the day with him.

For me, these kinds of experiences occur maybe once a year and are usually in connection with the ministry. Some were not momentous and so were easy to obey because nothing disastrous would happen if I was mistaken. Others were more difficult, but they went well.

Other ways that God communicates are through dreams or even as an audible voice. While I have never had an audible voice speak to me, I have had a dramatic dream which was exhilarating. At the end of the dream, God told me that he would be turning my life upside-down. I shared this with my wife and then put it out of my mind. That evening I received a call asking if I would be willing to take up an assignment in Singapore. I knew then that this was what God had been talking about.

Now, none of these experiences come close to Paul’s Damascus-road encounter. They were simply directions to carry out specific tasks. Every Christian doesn’t need to encounter God as dramatically as Paul did. As stated at the outset, God speaks differently to different people. Yet, we are all called to live the Christian life in the place where God has put us.

If you have truly surrendered your life to Jesus. God will guide you through your life and it will be exciting.

Have you been responding to the voice of God or have you been ignoring it?

In conclusion, knowing why we are here involves the following:-

1. Having an understanding of our role as stewards
2. Repenting from the world and beginning to live for Jesus and His kingdom
3. Seeking to serve the people in the place where we live and work
4. Serving the church of which we are members, responding to any request they make
5. Studying the Bible and living by its teachings, so that we develop the worldview of Jesus
6. Responding to the voice of God in an appropriate manner