Psalm 20, Isaiah 50:7–11, John 3:16–21
“May he give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.” Psalm 20:4
What does your heart desire?
What is your WHOLE purpose?
Those are two questions that humanity has wrestled with since the eyes/hearts/minds of Adam and Eve were opened in the Garden of Eden.
What we often do, however, is try to fill our hearts’ desires with things and activities that do not fulfill our whole purpose. In so doing, we are confused and disillusioned. We look to other people (who are just as confused and disillusioned) and try to find fulfillment based on what they say is the “right” way to be fulfilled.
Isaiah could have chosen the easy road, and probably had an easier time of it. However, he understood that often even while the heart is in pain (as his was), his heart desired God and Isaiah was fulfilled by following and obeying God.
“…people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)
This is the harshness of trying to be fulfilled by our own efforts.
“But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be showed to be accomplished by God.” In the Greek, accomplished strongly implies comprehensive, or fulfilled.
Chasing the light can be hard, but if fulfillment is truly what we seek, it is worth it.
As the world’s state generally improving, the immediate need and drive of survival come against purpose. As the awareness of purpose comes out, the lack of fulfillment becomes a threat to life: drugs, addictions, suicide, theft, violence. While throughout human existence, some of this has always existed, the levels are increasing rapidly.
We are called not just to walk in the light. We are called to be the light, and to carry the light of Christ into the darkness.
1) Why do you think suicide and addiction are often a person’s response to purposelessness?
2) What are new ways (or old ways in a new costume) that can bring hope and purpose to a world that doesn’t believe?