The “Gift of Purpose”

When we open our Bible and read Luke 1:30 we hear an Angel say to Mary “Do not be afraid.” I don’t think the Angel was so much calming Mary’s fears over the Angel’s appearance, but rather the Angel was calming her down, because of the wonderful message the Angel was bringing. I have admired Mary and her response for a long time. She doesn’t appear to have argued. The only question she asked was, “How?” “How can this be?” Maybe Mary realized immediately that the gift of God, and the Angel, was really the “Gift of Purpose.” Maybe Mary understood something most of us often miss, that the purpose of life is always bigger than our experience of life.

The purpose of life is to matter, to count, to stand for something, and to make a difference in this world we live in, even if it’s only in the life of one other person! My contention and the contention of the Angel, the Gospels, the Church and even Mary, is that we have been told where to go and what to do. As followers of Jesus Christ, we received a “Gift of Purpose.” The “Gift of Purpose” came wrapped in swaddling cloths in a manger. Is there a purpose for your life? Absolutely! Listen to what God says through Jeremiah 29:11. “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” The good news is that we have a future of hope! I think that Mary might have understood something that takes some of us a long time to understand. If there is no point to life, if there is no meaning or purpose to life, then there is no “Power” for life. The sad truth is that we cannot live without purpose and meaning. How many people do you know, who reach a certain age or a certain point in their life, and they just give up? They are no longer active and involved. They have lost their purpose. Proverbs says it best, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Mary inspires us to move beyond simply acknowledging our purpose and having our lives empowered. Mary challenges us to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and to put our purpose into practice! Like Mary, you and I have been given a great gift in this “Gift of Purpose,” but it won’t do us any good unless we unwrap it and put our purpose into practice in a powerful way.

As we celebrate Christmas we remember that God became flesh and blood and reached out to us. In the reaching out, in that grasping of our hand, God in Jesus Christ rescued us from sin and death. Not only that, but the minute we reached out and grabbed Christ’s outstretched hand, we were given a gift like no other. Once we connect with Jesus Christ, we are given the “Gift of Purpose” and the power to practice it. Christmas is a wonderful time to commit or recommit your life to Christ and discover your purpose. Discover your purpose this Christmas; and if you already know your purpose then renew your purpose by giving thanks. Open that gift under the tree and tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. The “Gift of Purpose,” is truly is a gift from God!