But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves … Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:22,27 (ESV)
Today is our final day in James 1. Tomorrow we will be moving on to James 2. So far in this chapter we have talked about how God helps us to persevere the trials of life with joy. He gives us the assets of knowledge, wisdom, faith, humility, and the implanted Word. The sixth thing he gives us is purpose.
The two verses above talk about having a mission. As believers, our mission is the Kingdom of God. God has called us to extend his reign of mercy and grace to the ends of the earth (see Acts 1:8). But God’s purpose is not the only purpose to pursue. Here are four purposes we pursue in life.
No Purpose
An aimless life is a hard life to live. Do you have a life vision? What contribution are you seeking to make to the lives of others?
If you are a parent, you could seek to be the best parent you could be. If you are married, you might strive to be the best spouse you could be. Maybe you have a dream to start a new business. Or could God be calling you to serve as a pastor? Whatever the calling may be, find that one thing that aligns with your passion and your gifts.
There are some people who struggle to get through the day because they are not living for anything. Life just simply becomes a struggle. No matter what, life will be a struggle, the question is will you choose the right struggle.
Evil Purpose
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:17 (ESV)
Peter talks about suffering. He talks how it is better to suffer for doing good than it is to suffer for doing evil. In the extreme case, there is the criminal and the criminal will suffer because of his life of crime. It is not a wise way to live.
Opposite suffering for being criminal there is suffering for righteousness. Peter says:
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. 1 Peter 3:14 (ESV)
There is suffering for doing evil, and there is suffering for doing good. One leads to destruction. One leads to blessing. Which should you choose?
Lesser Purpose
Sometimes the distinction between good and evil is not clear. Sometimes our mission gets sidetracked. We make the mission of God to be about lesser things. In the church world, we easily get focused on putting people in pews and paying the bills. We make the mission about things God never intended to be the mission. It’s not that what we are pursuing is bad. It is just a lesser purpose than God intended. God has called us to so much more.
Overcoming a lesser purpose is where many of us struggle. We pursue that which gives us instant gratification. We look to pick the low hanging fruit that is more convenient, but less satisfying. We take the path of least resistance because it is easy. But when we get to the end of our life, and we look back, we wonder what we accomplished with the one life God gave us to live.
Christ's Purpose
In the end, we are left with Christ’s purpose. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave us (the Church) his mission. All the kingdoms of this world will one day collapse, but God’s kingdom will last forever.
James speaks of visiting widows and orphans in their distress. This verse is not intended to be a comprehensive list of “good works.” The intention is to point out our priority. That which is seemingly of little importance in the world is of great priority in the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not live to be served, but to serve those in greatest need. When we align ourselves with Christ’s purposes, we may suffer, but it leads to the greatest joys we could ever know.
Questions for reflection
- Do you have a life vision statement? What gets you up each morning?
- What lesser purposes in your life could you exchange for greater purposes?
- Describe a time where you suffered with joy, because you knew you were suffering for good.
- Share your comments below.
Janet Baldwin says
Woking on projects for the school I worked for brought great joy even though the hours where long and there was no pay for overtime. The joy of collaborating with others and producing a program that brought joy, increased learning and the student’s self-worth make the work a labor of love.
Patricia says
Working in the church, in the Share program, which is the program that gives away the food and working in the back to school jam, which is the program that gives away food and school supplies. This gives me joy as I fellowship and collaborate.
Patricia Hynds says
I sometimes wonder if our Denominational leadership is more focused on the wrong reasons for increasing membership numbers. Congregations are praised and rewarded for meeting financial expectations but cautioned that “we are not Social Service Agencies” also no difference in those who join by profession of faith and those who are moving from one congregation or denomination.