What I Am Living For

When the calendar strikes January 1st I envision this scene from the Lion King:

Followed by a director of a movie saying and pointing, “Cue weight loss commercials (kudos, Oprah); cue gym membership discounts; cue ‘new year, new me’; cue the resolution haters.”  And before you close this tab because you think this is one of those blogs….stop right there because it’s not.

Instead of focusing on losing weight, getting organized (i.e. balancing my checkbook - sorry, Mom), or learning something new this year, I decided to focus on one word.  Last year my word was patience.  I succeeded in many aspects, but FAILED MISERABLY in so many other aspects!  As I looked back at the end of the year, I was disappointed in so many ways, but that is why my word wasn’t perfection.

This year my word kinda fell on my lap.  In a Christmas gift I got a bracelet with the word on it.  I started a devotional centered around the word. This year my word is purpose.

"For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible...everything got started in him and finds its purpose in Him."

Colossians 1:15 (MSG)

I’m not a product of my impatience, as 2015 might have reflected.  I’m not a product of my misunderstanding.  I’m not a product of my ignorance.  I’m not a product of anything, but Christ.

My Bible introduces the book of Colossians with this: “Something in our human nature wants to try to mess with a perfect thing.”  The church of Colosse recognized Christ as good, but thought that worldly philosophy lead to spiritual maturity.  I relate to the Colossians.  I’m constantly trying to mess with perfection - God’s creation. Genesis says that the world was created perfectly. I’m also guilty of seeking worldly knowledge in order to “better my faith.”

Sin took us away from perfection, but Christ’s death gave us a second chance (see Romans 6:23). Colossians 1:16 reminds us that everything “finds its purpose in Him.”  When we seek the cross and reap the benefits of our second chance, we find our purpose.

I’m committing 2016 to continually seeking my purpose, living my purpose, showing my purpose, and choosing to be purpose-driven.

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.”

Ephesians 1:11 (MSG)