Living on Purpose

God desires that we bear much good fruit (see John 15:1–5). That can only occur if we are people who live life “on purpose.” Each day, we should prayerfully think through what we would like to accomplish that day and then purpose to do it. If we are vague and thoughtless, it is more likely that we won’t accomplish much at all. Vague people wait to see how they feel before taking action, but purposeful people take the proper action no matter how they feel about it.

We live in a world of distractions, and even purposeful people need to be wise and not get off track. Many things scream for our attention, and yet it is up to each of us to decide what God would have us give our attention to. If I need to clean my house today, should I do that or go shopping with a friend who called at the last minute with an invitation? If I need to pay my bills and balance my bank account, should I do that or get distracted by television and sit on the couch most of the day? Many people live frustrated lives simply because they do not live on purpose.

When my day is over, I need to feel that I have accomplished something worthwhile. I want to have made progress in some areas of my life, and I believe that is a desire that God has placed in each of us. We feel fulfilled when we have confidence that we have done what we needed to do, but we feel frustrated if we feel we have just wasted the day. Even if we decide to rest all day, which is something that can also be fruitful for our overall health, we need to do it on purpose! In short, my advice is this: Pray, plan, and stay focused on purpose!

PRAYER:

Father, I want to bear good fruit in my life, and I need Your help in planning and in following through. Help me not to get distracted by time-wasters that get me off track and frustrate me.