Text- John 18:37 - "...Jesus answered... To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world”.
Yesterday, we discussed three keys to discover and fulfil your God-ordained purpose in life. Those are by and large spiritual details. Today, we will conclude on that subject by balancing with practical details on how to discover and fulfil your divine purpose:
4. Establish priorities
Matthew 6:19, 25, 33 says "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
...Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
You must prioritize purposeful living above successful living. Beyond that, you must set right priorities in all areas of your life. As you run your daily affairs, you should learn to separate issues based on their importance and urgency.
Review and create your own time management matrix following this template given by Steven Covey in his book, “First things first”
You must prioritize Quadrant I above all else; Quadrant II requires great discipline and must be handled with diligence; you have to be very careful with Quadrant III, delegate as much as possible; by all means, avoid Quadrant IV, it’s an absolute waste of time.
5. Set goals
Philippians 3:13-14 says "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
In this journey of divine purpose, you can’t afford to power down or settle too soon; you must constantly reach out for the things which are ahead. Set goals and work towards achieving them.
You must constantly be on the move… Move on from your past glories, move on from your mistakes and regrets, move on from your hurts and disappointments, move on from all struggles and limitations, move on from your present success, move on from all the drama going on around you, and focus on the great future ahead of you. Set goals, and let them guide you as you approach the future.
PRAYER
Lord, grant me practical wisdom for purposeful living. Teach me how to manage my life effectively for your glory. Help me to forget things which are behind, and focus on the greater things ahead; to daily press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Image Credit: 15five.com