Purpose: A Plan for KidsSample

Story

On March 11, 2020, the NBA season was suspended indefinitely. You may not watch basketball or even care about sports at all, but for just a second let’s think about it. People in the NBA get paid to play basketball, and people all over the world know them only because they are really good at basketball. Then, out of nowhere their job was taken away and they can’t play basketball! Okay, so what? It’s just basketball. Well, that’s exactly my point!

The Bible

"We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."—Romans 5:3–5

Think

So, what does someone do when the thing that gives them purpose is taken away from them? It probably brings suffering, but this can actually be a good thing. Why? Because it can make us ask ourselves, "What is my purpose? Am I making the wrong thing my purpose?" Like we talked about on the first day, so many things like sports, art, dancing, video games and more, can promise to give us purpose, but they can all be taken away in the blink of an eye. This passage from Romans shows us that when our purpose comes from God, we have hope because He can never be taken away from us!  

Do Something

Today, I want you to read this passage with your parents, grandparents, or whoever you’re with. Then, ask them about a time in their life when they had hope even though they were in a hard situation. 

Pray

“Dear God, thank You that You will never be taken away from me. You are my hope, and that brings me so much joy in the middle of a hard time. Thank You Jesus, for loving me more than I will ever know. Amen!”