Forward to a New YearSample

Pursue Purpose

Do you ever end the day, or the year, asking yourself, “What was all that for? What did I really accomplish? What difference did I truly make?” If so, commit to making this year a year of purpose. When you know your purpose, you stop chasing things that will never satisfy you. Instead, you find the joy of pursuing the next steps God has for you. 

Your vision keeps your hopes alive; it’s your dream of a better tomorrow. Your purpose gives you strength to move forward even when times are tough. Purpose stabilizes your life. With a clear purpose, you persevere because you know there’s a reason, a cause.

What if you could close out the day, the month, and the year knowing you’re fulfilling your true purpose and calling in life? Imagine being certain beyond doubt that your efforts weren’t wasted because they were God-conceived, God-directed, and God-honoring.

If there is one person who ever embodied purpose, it’s Jesus Christ. In John 12:27, He prayed, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

Jesus knew His purpose in life, and He was compelled to fulfill it. You also can have this sense of certainty to move you toward your goal. You can do what Jesus did, and you can live the rest of your life with no regrets.

How do you discover your “why”? Your journey begins by committing your life to God.

You can’t find your purpose in life by focusing on yourself and leaving God out of the picture. Life isn’t about using God for your purposes. It’s about God using you for His purposes. It’s about the Lord Jesus showing you how you fit into His plan. And you do fit in! He has a lifetime of purpose stored up for you.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “I’m not sure I want to be in God’s plan. What if I don’t like it?”

Oh, you will! It’s what you were made for. If you don’t embrace God’s plan, you’ll miss the purpose for which He created you. When you follow God’s plan for your life, you will be walking in the divine wattage of God’s light. There’s no other source of ultimate purpose. All other pursuits lead to darkness and futility.

Are you still afraid to present yourself totally to God? Do you still think He’ll mess up your life by telling you to do something you don’t want to do—or to go somewhere you don’t want to go?

I can tell you by my own testimony that everything I ever dreamed of doing in my life I found in God’s purpose for me. I cannot imagine doing anything else than what I’ve done as He has led me. So many of my dreams have come true, plus quite a few dreams I didn’t even know I had.

The first step toward pursuing your God-given purpose is to present yourself totally to God. He loves you. He wants the best for you. You can trust Him to guide you as you move forward into a new year full of purpose.

Respond:

1. Can you perceive what God’s purpose has been for your life in the past year? Spend some time in prayer and reflection, thanking God for what He has done.  

2. Do you have any worries or misgivings about God’s purpose for your life? What are they? How might you be encouraged forward by the knowledge that God knows you fully, and his purposes for you are good? 

3. Do you feel you know God’s purpose and plan for your life? If not, don’t worry—you only need to ask Him. How do you plan to pursue God’s purposes and keep them at the center of your days in this new year?