Created For A Purpose

As I write this, I’ve just finished listening to my favourite cover of I Am by Cece Winans several times – make sure you have a listen (it’s such a blessing and starts around 12:45 into the set). The verse that really stuck out to me was:

“I tell the sun to rise, the wind to blow, the rain to fall
I move the mountains and the oceans, rivers great and small
Yes, everything I made I want to hear them give me praise
Especially you, my children each and every day.”

“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:7)

In Context

Have you ever wondered why you were created? Why you were born at that specific time and into that specific family? I have. Lots of times. The answer to your existential crisis lies in Isaiah 43. God is clear about why He created you: for His glory. That’s a fact that remains true for everyone, but specifically those who claim Him as their God. Put simply, your goal in life should be to bring glory to God. An unbeliever might be excused for not acknowledging this, but as someone who identifies as a child of God, you have no excuse.

The meaning of life is found in God.

Only God Himself can reveal why exactly He chose to create us for this purpose. One could question whether He needed anyone/anything to bring glory to Him in the first place. However, that’s beside the point. You’re here. And if you didn’t know why, now you do. Revelation 4:11 tells us that God is worthy of the glory that we give Him because He created us. Taken together, we are to understand that: He created us for His glory and He’s worthy of that glory because He created us.

Glory by Choice

Giving glory to God can otherwise be referred to as giving Him praise (Isaiah 43:21). As I reflected on the various things that God created, I was reminded that we are the only creations that give glory by choice. Nature does so by default (e.g. Psalm 19:1); whereas, we have to make a conscious decision to do so (e.g. 1 Chronicles 16:24; Matthew 5:16). Glorifying God remains your prerogative, but dismissing your purpose has potentially dire consequences for those around you. In A Proud Parent, I wrote:

“If people know you’re a Christian, but you’re simultaneously happy to live an ungodly life, then you’re basically dragging your Father’s name through the mud. Although they might not say it, they’re probably wondering how a supposedly perfect God has kids which are so unlike Him – is He even a good parent?”

You can glorify God in a way that no one else can.

Once I grasped the fact that God had created us for His glory, my next question was why me? The are over 7 billion people on the Earth right now and billions more that have died. What’s the point of throwing Grace into the mix? Well… I’m special. No, I’m not being big headed; I’m being truthful. You, too, are special. The fact that each of us were created uniquely means that we can bring glory to God in ways that might appear similar, but are fragranced with our individuality. 1 Peter 2:9 ends with “that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light”, I don’t know what darkness He’s called you out of or how deep you were seeped in it. However, I do know that someone needs to hear about it.

Applied

1. Are you a child of God in name or in nature? – not everyone is “called by My name”, but if you’re choosing to be part of God’s family then that’s not an invitation you can accept lightly.
2. Don’t neglect the true purpose of your gifts or talents – yes, you may be using them at work or in social settings and that’s great. But how are you using them for God? Is the same energy and excellence present when you use them for God as when you use them for man?
3. Be faithful in little – it’s wonderful to have desires to bring glory to God on a massive scale. However, there are plenty of opportunities to bring glory to Him by being faithful in the small or even mundane things (e.g. good time management reminds you/others that God is a God of order).

By The Way

From appearing on a podcast for the first time, to speaking on two live panels – those who follow me (or the blog) on social media are probably sick of seeing my name on posters! I jest. It’s been an interesting week and I’m honestly so grateful for the opportunity to have shared my experiences on such differing topics:

1. The DEEP Podcast – When God’s Vision is Bigger (click here)
2. The Common Room – Let’s Be Real… Is Masturbation & Pornography The Norm? (click here)
3. Let’s Talk About It – International Mission (click here)

So…

You should give glory to Him every day. I hope the reminder that you can praise Him in a way that no one else can is both sobering and exciting. You were created for a purpose and the joy that comes from walking in it is incomparable.