Keep On Sculpting, Potter of Heaven

     A few years ago a book was published in America called The Purpose-Driven Life, which took Christians here by a storm. It's premise had a good intention which was to not just go through life without meaning, but to find the meaning God had for you, and fulfill it. I heard something similar a few decades ago from an aspiring TV minister. He called it "Discovering Your Destiny." Ever since then, as I grabbed ahold of this in my soul, I have been trying to be driven by my purpose, and to discover my destiny. Afterall, I wanted to do what God put me here for!!!
     The only problem in my particular case has been that it was out of a sense of "being significant" that I desired this. Not a good reason, and certainly not according to His will. Let me explain.
     He wants us to surrender our wills, and know that we already are significant because of how He sees us. We are precious in His sight. He doesn't judge us in how many things we can accomplish on this earth, or if we are successful by the world's standards, or even if we do things to help others if it's not from pure motives.
     So, what does He want? What are His purposes for us?  He has one purpose for all of us: TO CONFORM US TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. And how do we "let" Him do this? If we truly want what He wants, He will get us there. He will use everthing in our seemingly meaningless lives sometimes, such as circumstances, prosperity, illness, hardship, and struggle (especially struggle because our sin-nature will fight against His Spirit in us) to teach us to "let go," so that He might have His way through us. If we let Him show us the things in us that are in the way of that, and agree to lay them down or be removed, His love in us will begin to flow through us to others. In that way, we will be conformed to His image and His love will be seen and shared. These are His purposes.
     This unseen work can be in a person with many  responsibilies and activities, or in one who has a lot of time and with little responsibility. It matters not, if that person is the Lord's, and wants what He wants. Our whole understanding of our lives will change if we view them from an eternal perspective. Our problems will become opportunities to show His love, or if we fail,  to run to the throne of Grace for forgiveness and His strength for the next time. We won't judge our lives' by the worldly view, but will rest content that He is having His way in us and that will be enough. We will know we are significant whether or not we contribute little or much in terms of how the world defines accomplishment, knowing that it is His purpose that is most eternally meaningful because it satisfies His heart.
     "Not my will, but Your be done," O Father. All our rest is found in this.