Articles
Purpose
Life has to be more than just work; surely we have a greater purpose in life. It has been said, “We play at our work and work at our play.” But surely life is more than work and play.
Flawed is the thinking that our greater purpose is to solve the world’s problems, eliminate terrorism, or feed and clothe all the hungry. Noble though they may be, there is a greater purpose. It can be found right under our noses, and that purpose will provide fuel for a meaningful life.
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14).
Paul’s greater purpose was pressing toward the goal. He will define that goal as “being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). His purpose was to be transformed into the image of Christ. He wanted to be like Jesus. He wanted Christ’s personality, character, disposition, and nature. Paul was transformed image of the Lord, so that when you saw him you saw the Lord.
God had a dream for us. It was not simply to save us, but that we might be conformed to the image of His son (Rom. 8:29). We weren’t saved just to be saved, but so we could grow up to be somebody. That somebody was to be like Him, “That you may be sons of your Father” (Matt. 5:45).
That purposes is the lens through which we see and do everything. We are not simply giving “eye service as men pleasers, but doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service as to the Lord, not to men” (Eph. 6:6-7). When we work, we do not simply “work”–we work to please the Lord. We work with the image of the Lord implanted on our hearts. When we serve, we serve as to the Lord. In everything we do in life, we look to the Lord. We look at Him so we can know whose image we are to be. We are who we are because we want to be like Him.
Make your life’s purpose be to awake in His image (Psalms 17:15). Don’t be satisfied until you do.
