WHY ARE YOU HERE, AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to  
do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:10)

MEDITATION:
Are you going through life with what feels like a kind of dryness in enjoyment?
In other words, does life seem like it’s a monotonous routine or a rut with very
few challenges or excitement?

You might feel qualified for a particular job, but you are much more qualified
for a different job. Maybe you are going through the motions of doing your job,
but your skills are better qualified for doing something different. You might be
thankful for the job you have, but you know of one that you would enjoy more.

Many can fall into this type of lifestyle because they have failed to understand
why they were created by the God of the universe. The scriptures tell us that
God has a purpose for each person before they are even born. Let that marinate
in your mind – the Creator of all things has a purpose for you and me!

He has charted a path for each of us to follow – a ‘life road map’ for enjoying
life and fellowshipping with Him. The path He has chosen for each person is
good. It’s good for us, it’s good for those around us, and it’s good for a healthy
and enjoyable relationship with the Lord.

Since God has created us for a purpose, logic would tell us that He has also
provided the skills (gifts and talents) that we need for fulfilling our purpose.
However, some might be following a worldly path with ‘unqualified’ skills.
As a result, they can be restless, unhappy, unmotivated and even wonder
why they were created.

The God-given skills of some have been collecting dust and wasting away,
because they are on the wrong path. They have failed to discover (or have
ignored) their God-given purpose and have chosen instead to ‘chart their
own path’.

The scriptures tell us that happiness is found through obedience to the Lord.
Obedience includes going in the direction He has chosen for us, and using
what He has given us for doing ‘good works’. There is a defining contrast
between God’s path and the worldly path:
    the world tells us to ‘get all we can’,
    but God tells us to have ‘heart for giving’.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Am I following God’s path specifically designed for me?
    – Am I using everything God has given to me personally?
    – Am I doing ‘good works’?
    – Am I selfish and/or stubborn and decided that ‘I’ know
       what I should be doing, instead of following God’s path for me?
    – Am I up for the challenges of following God’s purpose for me?
    – Do I trust that God has ‘pre-prepared’ me for His purpose?
    – Am I interested in discovering God’s purpose for me?
    – Do I know the spiritual gift He has given me,
       and if so, how have I activated it in my life?
    – Does my lifestyle cause me to isolate myself from others at times?

If we are following His path and doing ‘good works’, then life will have
more meaning and it can be an enjoyable and exciting journey. If we
are not doing ‘good works’, then we can expect to experience a much
less enjoyable life filled with frustration, disappointment, restlessness,
and an anxiety that we should be making significant changes in our
‘life path’.

God has given us the freedom of making choices and the path we choose
is an important one that can have a dramatic impact on the lifestyle we
can embrace and enjoy. It makes sense to choose His path for us, doesn’t
it? After all, He created us so He knows what ‘makes us tick’ and the
capabilities we have (that we may never realize without growing closer  
to the Lord and trusting His guidance for achieving His purpose for us).

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for preparing a path for me before I was
born. Thank You for considering me important enough to assume the
responsibilities You designed especially for me. Thank You for giving
me everything I need for successfully following Your path. Forgive
me for allowing the attractions and influence of the world to take me
on a different path; one that causes me to miss out on Your blessings
for me. Help me to understand the changes I need to make so I can
move from a worldly path to the righteous path You have designed
for me to follow. I believe in Your purpose for me, and I know from
reading Your Word that I am capable of doing good works. Show me
how to measure the path I am on by the impact it has on me, and others.
Lord, I need Your guidance so I can make some life changes and start
enjoying Your blessings. Teach me all I need to know to start doing
‘good works’ which are pleasing to You and are beneficial to others.”

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