A Life Without Purpose....

I can remember the days when I would think to myself, "What will I do with my life?" I went to a good college, got a bachelor's degree, and ended up working jobs that never satisfied me. They were not fulfilling a dream, they were simply providing income. I went to work day after day, just getting by from paycheck to paycheck to pay the bills and feed my family (me and Mariah). To be quite honest, I never really could even manage that without help from my parents, or someone else. I met up with a lot of merciful and compassionate people along the way who helped me in times of need, but none could compare to the generosity and mercy I have found in the Lord. I believe that the Lord brought my husband and I together, even if we did not know it at the time. When I met my husband, my life was in shambles. It is a work of God in itself that he stayed with me beyond the first date! The point of what I am saying is that life was not going so well until I met Jesus Christ.

Although not everyone shares my troubles in life, I venture to say that many are dissatisfied with some part of their life. It could be their marriage, their finances, their children, their career, or just a general lack of hope for the future. Many live day to day without real purpose in their lives. Every day is just a means to an end leading up to the day we die....and then it is all over (in their minds). These people live by mottos such as "He who dies with the most toys...wins" or "Life's short, play hard" or "Another day, another dollar..." YOU get the point. They do things they regret thinking that it will bring them happiness and lasting joy in their lives...but it never quite meets their expectations. Life seems to be a constant roller coaster, and it can be very wearying to the soul at times. I remember all of these thoughts and feelings about my own life. I had friends who did not even believe in any kind of afterlife....therefore, they just went a hundred miles per hour each and every day until they burned out. I lived and partied with a group of girls in college who were this way. In the middle of the fast paced life I was living, I got pregnant with my daughter by a man who I was not even dating. I called the following week to get support from my "friends" and all but one never returned my call. I believe they did not want to face the fact that it could have been any one of them in my situation, so it was easier for them to ignore the cold-hard truth about life. They were scared and ignorant...and I don't blame them because I was that way too. But God had other plans for my life. I checked in them a couple of years later and many of them had gotten mixed up in drugs, and had sexually transmitted diseases, and others had become pregnant like me. Some may have even gotten pregnant and had abortions. This "fun" life they were living didn't seem so exciting anymore. Although I continued to mess up my own life for another year past that point, I did come to the realization when I met my husband that it was not for me. I just didn't know where to turn TO. My husband has never been social, and never really was a drinker or partier. After we got married, he never wanted to go to parties or clubs, and was an excellent influence on my dsyfunctional lifestyle. But HE alone could not save me from myself. God simply used his straightforward ways to help me get right with Him.

I know I have told this story before, but I want to share again the thought I had when I came to Christ. As I was weeping, and confessing all the things I had done wrong to God, I said to Him:

"God, I have really messed up my life. Please forgive me. I give my whole life to you. I don't know HOW you are possibly going to fix all the things that I have screwed up....but I trust you. I know you will somehow."

That DAY....everything began to change for me. I can't explain how except that now I know God's Word promises everything that REALLY happened in my life. It was not of my own doing because I did not know HOW to live right after living wrong for so long. That is why I gave up and surrendered to God. I felt I had no other options left to try. My life was completely without purpose and hope. So, I figured I would trust God and give Him a shot at doing something amazing through me. But at that point, I was not yet thinking amazing, I was just thinking survival.

God went so far beyond all my wildest dreams, and it has only been one year! God has healed my marriage, made me a stable and loving parent, given me financial wisdom, and given me more encouraging. wonderful friends than any person could want or deserve. God has showered his blessings and favor upon my life, and He has taught me how to live in such as a way that EVERY day is fulfilling, even in hard times. He has taken a person that was lost and suffering, and truly made me believe I am a princess in His eyes. I am worth so much to Him. It makes everything else seem worthless and dismal. He continues to give me peace every day, and slowly is changing who I AM from inside my own heart, through study of His Word and prayer. Many can try to argue with my theological ideas, and my "radical" thoughts toward Christianity, but no one can argue with the dramatic changes that have occurred in my life. My own family can vouch for how messed up I was, and how different I am now. It truly is like night and day. People CAN change overnight, but not on their own. God can do it through you today!

God shows us in scripture how each of our lives fit into the overall scope of eternity. David spoke in the Psalms about life in this way:

Psalm 39:4-6 (NKJV):

"Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, you have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is nothing before You; Certainly, every man at his best state is but a vapor. Selah. Surely, every man walks about like a shadow; Surely, they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them."

This is a scripture the Lord brought to me about a month ago (to show me my worth to Him):

Psalm 45:11 (NKJV):

"Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him."

God created me with a purpose for my life in mind. I believe with all my heart, soul and strength that my life is but a vapor here. My eternal home is in heaven with Christ, and anything I DO on this earth by the power of the Holy Spirit is simply reaping eternal rewards that will last for eternity. I am not even interested any longer in working to lay up riches on earth because I am convinced by the Word of God that I will be rich in eternity, being a c0-heir of riches and glory in Christ Jesus. But even if this was not a promise of God, just being with my Savior and the one who turned my life around would be enough for me. There is none like the Lord, and He truly is worthy of all honor, glory and praise! I no longer have to worry about my life without purpose, because I have a purpose and hope in Christ....to love, serve and worship my Lord. Anything else He does with my life on earth is just extra!

He has given me this blog, so I might share my excitement about Him and His Word...each and every day with 35-50 people. That...in itself, is a dream come true for me. I always wanted to be a writer, and here I am living my dream. Am I getting rich? NO. But who cares! Life is wonderful when I am following Christ, and He is laying out the path before me. I no longer have to lay in bed at night wondering what I will do with the rest of my life. I don't have to worry about the menial details because God just works them out for me. THIS IS LIFE!!!!

Lord,

I thank you today for reaching into the pit of life without hope and purpose, and placing me high upon the Rock of Jesus! Thank you for giving me a whole new life with purpose! Thank you for giving me my dreams and fulfilling each and every desire in You. Thank you for being with me each and every day, and for enabling me to trust You. Thank You for Your great love for me, and for the people of this world. Please save as many as you can before the coming Day of the Lord. Show them the hope they can have in You, and the lives that you have for them! Bless them richly with knowledge, humility and wisdom in the name of Jesus! Amen.

Thankful for Life in Christ,

Sarah