By: Patty Joyce
As I was pondering and praying over what subject I should write about, I happened to pass one of my orchids. I love orchids! I thought they would be difficult to take care of, but truthfully, they are easier than most flowers. They may not have a regular blooming cycle, but once they do, their blooms are something to behold. The symmetry of one side to the other is perfect. I felt as though the orchid said, ‘There is more to me than my beautiful shape and colors. After all, my Maker didn’t just fling me into the universe—He gave me purpose.’ What purpose, other than beauty, does an orchid have? According to justaddiceorchids.com:
“Plants absorb carbon dioxide from their surrounding environment and release oxygen back into the air. Since humans are the opposite, plants provide the perfect complement to our environment. Placing plants around your home can help encourage deep breathing, which can even help you sleep better.”
Imagine that…our great God has given us a technicolor world full of mystery, joy and beauty—and included a purpose in His glorious works of creation!
What do you think of when you see a rainbow in the sky? Many of us know this is a covenant between God and man that life on earth would never again be destroyed by a world-wide flood. I find it comforting that the covenant was mentioned seven times in God’s conversation with Noah and his sons:
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”
Genesis 9:8-17 NIV
The New Testament tells us over and over that we have a covenant with the Most-High God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Like the rainbow in the sky, our covenant is marked by the seal of Holy Spirit:
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV
Where does this leave us? Why have each of us been created? The inerrant Word of God tells us:
But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Isaiah 43:1;6-7 NIV
We may not think we are as purposeful as our neighbor, but we are. If God created us, then we have a purpose. As far back as elementary school, I remember what the Baltimore Catechism said:
“Why did God make you?” The correct answer is: “God made me to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.”
Serving him can be as simple as letting the person behind you with one item have your place in line when you have a cartful of groceries, or buying a homeless person a cup of coffee, or being a part of a Meal Train when someone is too ill to fix a meal, or volunteering at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.
Blogger Dave Jenkins asks, “Can anyone complete God’s intentions for one’s life? Because of our weaknesses and sins, our reach will always exceed our grasp. No man is noble enough, and no woman has enough years to accomplish every goal and dream.”
Probably not, and the Lord may not expect us to, but He does expect us to make a difference in our world by looking for opportunities to be purposeful—and they are everywhere!
Several years ago, while I was still working full-time, a dear sister-in-Christ, Irene, offered to clean my house once a month for no compensation. As I returned home from work that evening, I would see the newly vacuumed living room carpet that said, ‘Irene was here today!’ Was this a purpose? Yes. At that time, her purpose was to bless me by making my load a little lighter—a blessing I will never forget.
I hope as we lay our head on our pillow tonight, we can smile knowing we served a purpose for the Lord today—whether it be big or small, or anywhere in between.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 NIV
