On Purpose, For a Purpose

God has a thing for gardening.

After He whipped up the galaxies, skies, earth, and oceans—all the grand gestures—we see Him down in the dirt with the details: “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden” (Genesis 2:8, niv). Could God have been planting every flower and tree imaginable? Absolutely. He doesn’t miss a single beat, a hair on our heads, or a tree in the garden. He’s purposeful like that.

Gardens are full of life. From them come fruit, strength, hope, grace, beauty, and joy. And from His joy, He names His creation and gives it purpose. We are given that same purpose: to bear fruit, show grace, and root ourselves in His love.

But what about the days when we don’t feel purposeful—when we get up, grind through, and go to bed, only to Groundhog Day it all over again in the morning? What about when not only monotony has set in, but so has major mess? Disaster. Disease. Death.

There are many days when, if I’m being perfectly honest, being purposely planted feels more like being left for dead. Have you been there? Are you there now? Wondering what your purpose is and how this life in front of you is good?

I can assure you, Jesus felt this way too. In a garden, of all places. On a dark night with death before Him, questioning whether He could take a different path or drink from a different cup.

But God’s grace shows up when we feel purposeless. The apostle Paul writes to remind us of why we are here: “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” So every good thing you find yourself doing, every sacrifice you make—big or small—every laundry load folded with love, every errand done out of service, this is part of our purpose. We were created for good works.

So, sister, know that grace looks amazing on us when we walk through the thick darkness, trusting in the light. When we feel purposeless but choose to be purposeful. When we do good works by faith, not knowing what the result will be. When we trust Jesus and try out gifts like teaching, pioneering, sharing good news, and caring for others. When we listen to what our heart beats for and move toward that in faith. When we see sunsets but trust in sunrises. When we choose joy even if we feel left for dead. Because we are not left for dead on those dark days. Resurrections always come.

Grace Reflection: What good works have you participated in recently? Celebrate those. Remember that when you feel purposeless, God has handcrafted you for good works. Pay attention to those opportunities in your path this week.