"...Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand...." - Proverbs 19: 21" A Life of Purpose Can Change the World!" Do you know your purpose for your life? Many of us struggle with God's purpose for our lives. We often measure our success in life by what others think. Young people tend to think of purpose in terms of a job or career. Spiritually minded people think of purpose in bigger terms. A few individuals find their purpose, while the majority wonders... if a purpose exits. I believe we all have a purpose. Every thing in the physical world excluding man has a purpose. The sun, moon, birds, bees, and all the animal kingdom have a predetermined purpose. It is inconceivable that man was created by chance and without a purpose. It has been written,†the purpose in life is a life of purpose.†How Do You find Your Purpose? Paul gives instructions concerning your purpose. He asserts that we are physical beings with a spiritual dimension to our lives. The manifestation of spiritual gifts is given to our spiritual side. We must identify and develop these gifts .Our purpose is defined ...by our gifts. Rather, our gifts define ...our purpose. Paul asserts further ...that this gift is neither earned nor forced.It is God-given, therefore not man-generated. The Greek word for gift is pneumatkos, meaning spirit-energized. In other words, the spirit energized gift moves you toward your destiny or purpose (1Corinthians12:1-29). The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung was the first modern thinker to define this mysterious phenomenon. He called it synchronicity, the perception of meaningful co-incidence. Jung maintained that this is a causal principle in the universe, a law that operated to move human beings toward greater growth in consciousness. In simpler terms, experiences that move you toward your purpose in life. Abraham Lincoln wrote about an experience that moved him closer to his destiny in his youth. One day he encountered a peddler who asked him to buy an old barrel of goods, mostly worthless, for a dollar. He could have easily turned him away, but he gave the peddler the money and stored the barrel. When he cleaned out the barrel, Lincoln found among the old cans and pots a set of law books. He used the books to study to become a lawyer and went on to fulfill his purpose. It has been said, ''It is our choices….that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.†Martin Luther King was driven to fulfill his purposes in life .He was a man who changed the world. Dr .King was turning his attention to a nationwide campaign to help the poor when he was assassinated. He never wavered in his insistence that nonviolence must remain the central tactic of the civil-rights movement, or in his faith that everyone in America would some day attain equal justice. He stated, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. '' Jesus Christ changed human history more than any figure. He made a decision to leave the safety of Galilee where he was among friends and relatives to go to Jerusalem . This is where the religious leaders would consider him a threat to their authority. The Romans also would consider him a disturber of the peace. His friends thought this was a bad decision. Jerusalem was the place where he was arrested and given a death sentence. However, when he rose from the grave that Easter Sunday Morning, he became the greatest religious leader in history. Jesus had a mission to fulfill. Jesus had a God to glorify. Jesus had a purpose to fulfill. I am so glad he did it! Will you fulfill your purpose? Rev.Esco Yancey,Jr.
