I was having a conversation with someone the other week and we were briefly catching up. I was telling them about buying a house and my experience thus far. Their reaction was somewhere between calling me crazy and feeling sorry I’d chosen so early to settle down. At first, I was pretty stung. A little while later, I realized they hadn’t heard my reason for buying a house. They hadn’t been privy to the purpose. And that purpose, the answer to the question, “To what end?” makes a world of difference.

Faith is purpose

Faith gives us the direction in answering that question, “To what end?” Faith is having an answer, a direction. Faith is the course we set, however without purpose, we have no way of determining where we’re headed in regards to that faith. It is one thing to believe in God, to serve our loving Savior, but it is another altogether to have purpose and know how He has made us to fit into that grand scheme. Without purpose, faith will take us everywhere, nowhere.

To each their own

We’re all going to have different purposes. The hospitable one isn’t going to have the same purpose as the pastor, just as the teacher isn’t going to have the same purpose as the merciful one. I’m not going into gifting here, but know that you have a purpose that is uniquely yours, tailored to the specific gifts you’ve received. You should be stretched, but your focus should be on your core competencies, if you will. And not everyone, not every believer, will understand or value your specific purpose.

Purpose moving forward

I bought a house and I’m moving in soon because it fits who I am. My purpose is to tend to the hurting and help reorient the lost, restoring their purpose and rediscovering their heart. And this house serves as a space for this to take place. I’m sure it’ll serve greater objectives, but this is all I can see today. It’s this sense of purpose that guides me onward. It’s this sense of purpose that assures me I am headed in the right direction; it excites me. What is your purpose? Where is it leading you?

Seriously, ask yourself, “What is my purpose and where is it leading me?” Do you know? Ask your family, your friends. Make an evening out of it. Discover it. It’s not a matter of convenience, it’s a matter of life. Without purpose, how can we live and enjoy life fully in the way we were uniquely made to do so? We can’t. And friends, I don’t want that for any of us. The choice is yours, though.