Biblical Purpose is an over-arching objective in life that brings cohesion and direction to the apparent disconnectedness of life. Purpose is what allows an individual to measure progress and have a sense of accomplishment. Purpose defines why you do things (i.e., big picture), more than what you do (i.e., little tasks).
We must realize the same action can stem from multiple purposes. For example, how many different purposes are there for why a young boy would help an old lady across the street? A short list includes: sincere compassion; to earn a Boy Scott badge; she is his grandmother and he will get a guilt trip if he lets her cross alone; he works on commission at the business across the street and hopes to make a sale; or she is the grandmother of the girl he wants to date and he hopes she will put in a good word for him.
Because the same what (action) can emerge from many whys (purposes), focusing only upon what we should be doing can easily truncate the Christian faith to an unsatisfying set of duties. Only when the actions of faith are practiced in a love for God (worship being our “ultimate purpose”) and in keeping with our created design (the key to discovering our “particular purpose”) will our acts of obedience fill the nagging void in our heart.
In America, life carries many relatively predictable elements: many years of education, working even more years to support oneself and possibly a family, the challenges of starting a career, an intense time of reassessment at mid-life, and adjusting to a slower pace as one ages. Without some grander purpose, life can become so predictable or seemingly pointless that it promotes depression or disillusionment (Ecclesiastes 1:2-11).
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