Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning. Why am I here? How did I get here? What am I doing? Am I making a difference?
These are natural human questions pointed directly toward the only One who can answer them. For some, it leads to salvation. I know it did for me. Or at least the first three questions did. I had hit the bottom and exhausted all of my personal effort and limited understanding. There had to be more…
For others, who have already found a life in Christ (which is where I am now), these questions still fuel our purpose barometer.
The psalmist said, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10).
This truth brings me great joy –especially if I find myself wondering what I’m doing, or if I’m making a difference.
Closer than you think
In other words, I have found that my purpose barometer is only gauged by knowing He is near and that no matter what I do or where I go, if I’m conscious of His presence, I can’t be far off from where I need to be.
“How can you be so sure Daphne?”
Because I trust that He is able to keep me. The author of Jude said it well: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25).
So here I sit, over thirty years from the first time I found myself seriously asking, “What am I doing with my life?” And the same Father who met this lost child on the road and filled my barometer with purpose hasn’t changed. And although my revelation of Him has deepened, and therefore what I do with that has become more prominent, I refuse to make something simple profoundly hard.
He can be trusted
So what am I doing? I’m remembering where I started. I’m remembering His love never changes. I’m mindful that He wants the whole world to know of His Son and their potential righteousness in Him. And I’m remembering that seasons don’t always look the same. But the One to Whom I’ve entrusted my life always does. He is faithful. And if I will remain faithful also, I will be where He wants me to be, doing what He wants me to be doing.
I’ve been single. I’m now married.
I’ve been a young parent. I’m now a parent of parents.
I’ve been one in authority. And I’ve been one under authority.
So no matter what the state of my life looks like…
I can confidently declare my purpose barometer is still only found IN HIM.
And my prayer for those of you asking similar questions, is that you too will find comfort and great peace in this answer as well.
