Living From A Place Of Purpose
Do you recall the account of Jesus’ baptism?….
“16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” ”
When Jesus was baptized by His cousin John, His ministry shifted and He began to live from a place of strategic purpose. It was when He went under the water and was raised up that God said those charging words that affirmed Jesus’ identity. Sure, He had purpose before His baptism. Jesus always had purpose before the earth was created, but His defining moment was when he came up out of the water and God validated Him. I guess something in Jesus snapped and His mission had even more purpose.
I want to digress for a moment and introduce you to John Eldredge’s book, ‘Wild At Heart,’ in which Eldredge says all men need their earthly Fathers to answer a defining question, which is: “Am I worthy?” If a boy doesn’t get this question answered by his father then he is lacking and forever will be searching for his worthiness in something/someone else. Boys as they grow into men need to hear from their fathers: “I love you, you have what it takes to be a man, you can succeed as a man, you are affirmed and you can be anything you want, you are a boy turning.
God was answering this question for His Son Jesus with His response to His baptism. He was telling His Son, ‘you are worthy, you are a man to do what you went to earth to do to redeem man from sin, you are my Son, I love You, and I am pleased by You.’ When boys hear this from their fathers, as Jesus heard from God the father (minus the redeeming of sin because that has already been done by Jesus) throughout their childhoods, something shifts in their male identities and they know they are men and can handle all that life throws at them. They are affirmed and feel worthy to be men, and they can now go out into the world and be honorable leading men in their society and in their homes.
Nick Frawley unpacked these 5 verses from Matthew when he said, “everything from that point on [Jesus’ baptism], everything that He did was positioned towards the cross and doing everything for Kingdom purposes.”
When a human decides to give their life to Jesus and they are born of spirit and water (John 3:5), this is a pivotal moment that this human life is no longer being lived for them self, but, for the glory of God- to bless others and follow God’s calling on their life. Living from a place of purpose. Let that sink in. Are you living from a place of purpose? Have you given your life to Jesus? And, like Jesus, from when He was charged by His Father, and began His ministry with gusto- are you living with gusto? Or, are you living carnally and for your own purposes?
The most fulfilling life is when we choose to life from the purpose that God has called us to live. That when our spiritual eyes are open, that we live with wisdom and guidance, that we live with joy, and that we live surrendered to God’s plans for our lives and how He wants to use us.
If you’re not living from a place of purpose and want that to be changed, then spend some time with Holy Spirit this weekend and surrender your life and calling to Him. If you’re not a follower of Jesus and you’re ready to turn from a life of sin and a life not in communion with Him, ask Jesus to come into your heart so you can become a follower if Jesus too. And, begin reading the Bible, start going to a Bible based teaching church, and wait for His Spirit to fill you so you can begin living from a place of purpose instead of a place of uncertainty and carnality.