DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE
In Luke chapter 8 we see the story of a demon possessed man encountering Jesus. When he came face to face with Jesus he fell to the ground in fear, but Jesus showed mercy on the man. This man wasn’t possessed by just one demon but many and as Jesus has authority over everything, including demons, He ordered that they leave this man and they did.
Those familiar with this story will remember that the demons were given permission to possess a heard of pigs and once they did the pigs immediately jumped into a lake and drowned. That’s the part of the story that stands out to most of us, but really its’ the end of this story that should be the most prescriptive for believers.
I dare say that most of us have never been demon possessed, though some have been. What I do know is that we are all broken, sinful people. Most of us don’t need to be rescued from demon possession, we need to be rescued from ourselves. I don’t know about you but I struggle daily with sinful desires that I don’t want to deal with. I have done things that have hurt those that I care about. I have done things that have hurt my own well-being. We all have and that is simply because of brokenness in our lives. Sometimes we just can’t get out of our own way and that’s where Jesus comes in.
Jesus rescues us from those sinful actions. You may think, “I know a bunch of Christians and they don’t really act much differently than anyone else.” Unfortunately that’s true. All Christians, including myself, are hypocrites. We say one thing, and then do the exact opposite. That’s because of our brokenness. You see, following Jesus doesn’t take away our sinfulness, it takes away our guilt. If you don’t follow Jesus you live under the burden of guilt before God. One day you will leave this earth and you will face judgement. And every single one of us are guilty of betraying God. Jesus changes that though. Jesus says of His followers, “don’t convict them, they’re mine. I paid their penalty.” That should bring gratitude, excitement, joy and a host of other feelings and actions to those who follow Jesus.
The demon possessed man felt those same things in this story and it tells us that he just wanted to follow Jesus. If you are a Christian you have probably felt that same way at times. Sometimes we just want to step out of this world and follow Jesus. One day we will, but for now we can’t. Jesus has a purpose for you.
In Luke 8:39 Jesus told this man, “return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.” And it tells us he did just that… “he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”
If you’re a Christian, you may not have been demon possessed but you were broken and guilty before God. Jesus rescued you. In light of that your purpose in life is pretty simple, tell people about it. Proclaim to the world, to your friends, to your family, to anyone you can… “Jesus rescued me! And He can rescue you too!”
We live in a world that is seeking purpose. It’s the way it has always been throughout history. We want to matter and have purpose. This world is searching everywhere for that feeling of meaning. If you’re a believer in Christ, you have the answer. Your meaning in life isn’t your job, your family, or your abilities. Your meaning in life, your purpose, is being and doing the things of God. Don’t get caught in your little Christian bubble, go tell people what Jesus has done for you!