The Purpose ExperienceSample

Possessed with Purpose

Woo-hoo!—You’ve made it to day four of The Purpose Experience YouVersion plan. Now that we’ve laid the foundation for your purpose, it’s time to discover and pursue it.

Maybe you’re a Christian who isn’t feeling fulfilled—maybe you want to become possessed with purpose, but something is holding you back. Let me ask you this: is your comfort in competition with your calling? Your comfort must be crucified with Christ, or else it will continue to hinder your calling. Jesus wants to use your story for His purpose—to touch a generation! But you won’t find out what this purpose looks like until you let go of your comfort.

Purpose isn’t found in a program, a plan, a curriculum or even a bunch of practical how-to's. Purpose is a person . . . it’s Jesus! The demoniac found in Mark 5 didn’t receive his mission first—he encountered Jesus first. Purpose is a byproduct—the overflow—of a Jesus encounter. You can’t separate purpose from His presence. There is no purpose aside from Him. The good news is that He promises believers that we will always have His presence; Matthew 28:20 says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus is the goal. Too many times in Christian circles, people are chasing miracles, breakthroughs, purposes, their next step, or felt needs. These things in themselves aren’t wrong; the priorities have just been reversed. When we seek Jesus, we will find Him and His purpose for our lives. Matthew 6:33 (ESV) says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Everyone quotes Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) (even I did on day one of this plan): “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” However, few quote the most important part of that chapter, which is verses 12-13: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” You will find Him when you seek Him with your whole heart. This is the prerequisite to uncovering His plans because the Lord’s plans are revealed in His presence!

If you want to be who God is calling you to be, you must prioritize the person, not the plan. So many are looking for direction in their careers and feel frustrated, not knowing what to do. They talk with friends, mentors, or even a counselor like I did, but nothing seems to work. Nobody seems to have answers. Maybe that’s the whole point! God may be using this dissatisfaction in your life to cause you to seek Him diligently, for He alone has the answers and knows what you need. Just maybe, He wants His presence to be enough—to be your main desire. When His presence becomes your pursuit, that’s when He reveals His plans!