Thursday, September 24

Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
—1 Corinthians 15:58

Sometimes we wonder if what we do in our lives really makes a difference. Books are written, classes and workshops are held, magazine articles are published to help people discover their purpose in life. For some reason,we find it hard to claim what we are doing right now as our purpose. 

It may be that the clarity others have about their purpose points out the lack of our own. It may be that we don't think what we're doing is worthy enough to qualify as purpose. It may be that we feel we once had purpose but have lost it somewhere along the way. And so, we persistently search for purpose so that we can believe that we will make a difference.

The fact is that our lives do make a difference because we are made in the image of heaven—we have God's Spirit dwelling in us. Our purpose is found not in a specific task, but in the way that we open ourselves up to the world—in the way that the Spirit of God within us is released.

When we love, when we pray, when we work, when we smile, when we are kind, when we go out of our way for someone else, when we use the gifts that we have been given, we are showering the world with the Spirit of God. The search for purpose ends when we simply open our soul. Then we know that our labor for God is not in vain.

Gracious God, when my life feels empty and useless, let me feel the swirling power of your Spirit within me.