“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 NKJV
All over the world, existential questions plague the minds of humans. We all want to know the meaning of life; who we are, why we are here, and what the purpose of our existence is. Many times, not being able to find the answers to these questions can lead one to experience an existential crisis. This could be because we are looking to the wrong sources for an answer, when in fact, the only person who can correctly answer the questions of purpose in creation is the Creator.
As a new creation in Christ, the life you have is no longer yours to live. You are to live for His name (2 Corinthians 5:15, Galatians 2:20). Answering the question of purpose, your purpose on earth is to know Jesus and to make Him known. You fulfil this by earnestly preaching the gospel of salvation; reconciling the world to God, as you were reconciled to Him.
Purpose is not synonymous with success. That is, success does not define purpose, rather purpose defines success. Purpose is the one thing for which you were created, and at which you must succeed. Otherwise, anything else you succeed at will not count! Purpose is also sacrifice; therefore, being purposeful will not always be easy or pleasant. It will demand your time, resources, and strength. Many times, you will have to go the extra mile, even when it means that you might be stepping far out of your comfort zone.
You must also realise that purpose is also not all about happiness. Happiness is not the goal, but a byproduct of purpose. If you go after happiness on your walk to fulfilling purpose, what happens when you are faced with persecution and other challenges? Jesus Christ lived a purposeful life. If He were chasing happiness, He might never have gone to Calvary! But He understood the will of the Father and fulfilled it until His last breath on the cross (Mark 14:36). In the same way, your greatest happiness should be found in the fact that you are walking in purpose; doing the will of the Father.
You see, the paradox of purpose is that it is something worth living for, and also something worth dying for. This simply means that in fulfilling your purpose, living or dying is a win-win for you. Just like the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain,” you must understand that if doing the will of God will cost your life, you didn’t lose anything.
CONFESSION: To know Christ and make Him known is my reason for living. I have found something worth living and dying for. Therefore, every day of my life on this earth, I will be purposeful
Bible Reading Plan: Psalms 140-142