Seed - Do you know your purpose? Do you know your purpose is unique to you?

These seem like some very difficult questions.  Often times we try to ignore these questions in our lives.  We often settle for false validation – power, recognition, money or destructive relationships.  When this happens to us, we end up just enduring through life’s journey.  We can become disillusioned or discouraged and isolated.  However, there is good news.  You were created to flourish and having a lasting impact all around you.

You have a unique, divine purpose given to you by God himself before you were born.

Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."  He placed your potential and future inside you before you were born. 

Psalms 139:13-14 – “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

But he gave us all a free will, so we must choose HIS greater kingdom over our own.

 Galatians 5:1, 13, 16 – “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.  For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  We are to walk free from the bondage of mankind alone.

So here is the next question – what is our high calling or purpose?

He restored to us an identity and purpose that came when Jesus shed his blood on the cross for our restoration back into the family of God.  He is calling us to our destiny.  He is asking us to co-labor with Him to bring all of creation back into the unity with the Creator.

We believe this is the most important bible verse of our time. 

John 14:12 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  Whether you know it or not, Jesus spoke these words to his disciples.  They are also the words he spoke over you.  Whether you are a believer or not – this is your divine destiny.  You were created for something awesome.  All you have to do is come into agreement with these words to begin the journey.

I want you to let this verse roll around inside you and begin to come alive. (I would ask you to read it several times, ponder it for an extended time).  Harbor these words deep within you.  Allow them to create a new reality for you.

Do not miss a couple of key points here:

·         We are to be known more by what we do than what we say.  Not that our words are not important - just that they are not sufficient in many circumstances to reflect the true gospel.  We can all recite Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2 - …not to rest in the wisdom of man but in the power of God… The questions for all of us – Is this really the measuring stick of our life?  This can be so subtle we might miss it.  Our goal in life is not what we know, or how many scriptures we can quote, but do we walk in the power of a “do” gospel.

·         What we are to be doing is supernatural works.  These are ones we can do without the power of God.  Most of us have a measure of compassion for our fellow man, but are we more comfortable doing our works rather than his works?  More to the point, our works may make us feel like we are doing our part but keeping us from hungering after the greater works.  Will we wrestle with this scripture to attain an expanding measure of God’s power?  When Jesus walked into a town or city, he encountered skeptics and non-believers.  Opposition is ok.  He rarely participated in debate but rather allowed his works to speak for themselves.

 ·         If I am honest – I have missed this mark by a staggering amount in my faith walk.  I do not say this to condemn us but to say we must stop, take a hard look at where we invest our time and reset our compasses.  The world needs the power of light more than words to encounter their souls.  This is the only way non-believers will come to an awareness of God’s goodness.  Our debates have gotten us nothing.  In fact, in many cases it is causing us to become hard-hearted toward the people we are to love and help redeem.  We must have a new revelation of the power of the gospel.

 I hope this challenges all of us greatly.  God is asking us (Christians) to go somewhere we have not been.  The world around us is desperate for real hope and inner peace.  There is turmoil all around us.

Do we still believe we can solve our messes ourselves?  We don’t just need more answers we need a new source.

As Christians, we are wasting our time pointing out how dark or evil the world is - we are called to be - real light and hope.  Light and hope will overshadow the discouragement and turmoil in the inner man not our words.  We must come alive in a new way.

·         If you are like me, I never spent a lot of time meditating on this verse – I even forgot it was in the bible – why?  Could it be at least partially, we are afraid of the demands it places on us?

·         Greater works than Jesus – seriously – if you are like me you are already rehearsing a list of reasons why this verse should not apply to you –

o   I am not an ordained minister or biblical scholar

o   I have no real history of seeing miracles happen

o   An all-knowing God would certainly use leaders with a better track record than me with all my failures

·         However if we are not careful we miss a critical point.  He did not place the responsibility on us first – the key to this verse is the last part – …because I (Jesus) go to the Father.  We need to grab hold of this in full measure.  He asked us to do these works but he hinged it on himself – not me.  Ok I might be able to buy into this kind of partnership.  He made it possible not based on something in my worthiness or biblical knowledge.  Now this changes things.  If He is not afraid of my performance shortcomings, why should we be?

·         Just because we cannot fathom how this could happen, does not mean we should not pursue it wholeheartedly.  I think he is aware of my “trial and error” method in learning to implement his truths. 

·         The world around us desperately needs us to grapple with this and find or grab hold of this power of the gospel.  Words are so insufficient in times like this.

·         In fact when we allow this into our inner man, we discover this is our destiny (what we were created to accomplish – here, now).  It is our inheritance purchased for us by Jesus our Redeemer.  This thing is to distinguish believers and non-believers.  This is the only thing that will open the door to real lasting hope for people living in daily chaos or personal turmoil. 

·         This is also the place of real lasting joy in each of our lives.  When we walk in our true destiny, something comes alive in others -- but it also does in us!

·         Does God really want or expect us to do this?  Many have argued miracles are not for this time. I believe he wants this more than he wants us to attend church every Sunday.  Now do not think I am against church – just know we are called to something more than attendance in observance of our agreement with the gospel.  Listening to comfortable rituals each week is not the gospel Jesus lived.  This approach has allowed us to grow sluggish if we admit it.  We have all become better faithful “listeners” more than “doers” of the gospel.  We must press past our comfort zones if we are to come into a true understanding of Jesus’ charge to each of us.

 I love the words of Jesus to his disciples when the crowd needed to be fed and there was clearly not enough food.  Matthew 14:16 - But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." Because they had seen the miracles that Jesus did - the demand was now on their life by connection to him.  Wow!  We by virtue of our connection are now part of an unseen reality and capability.

 John 21:25 - Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.  I guess he intended to infect all of us with the good works.  We all carry a new hope to which is to be multiplied all around us.  This is the seed he placed inside each of us before you were born.  May you allow yourself to begin to expect the greater things.

 ·         Why are we called to greater works than Jesus’ did?  I am not sure - but I think this is the heart of any true father.  You want more for your children than you had in your life.  The promise on our lives is part of the gift.  It is to give us something real and everlasting to reach for.  Stretching us is part of the gift.  Maybe it is also a reward for Jesus – God wants Jesus to be glorified in the works we do since he paid the price for us.  Remember, it is not what your children say, it is what they do that brings honor to their parents.  Therefore, we must become “doing Christians” not just “talking” ones.

 May we grab hold of a new vision for our destiny even without fully knowing how to do this.  This is the path to our destiny – this will bring us lasting joy and contentment.  This will be infectious for good.  We all called to make our unique impact.

 Please share with us your thoughts in the comments section below. We hope this helps you discover your assignment and how your journey can help others.  Come join us at thefamilycollective.co. Thank you.