“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.” (Rev. 4:11 NLT)
So much of humanity struggles with feelings of insecurity and low self-worth. The question, “What is my purpose?” is common, and many spend valuable time, effort and resources seeking answers to this question.
Though it may sound simplistic to some, the key to finding our purpose can be found in the above verse: “For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.” (Rev. 4:11 NLT)
Our ultimate purpose? We were created for God’s pleasure!
Wait. Does this mean we are simply toys in His hands? Are our lives nothing but elaborate video games?
If you take the word “pleasure” from a worldly perspective, it would be tempting to think that we are nothing but pastimes for the God Almighty. Let’s remember, however, that the Bible describes God’s relationship with us as that of a Father: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13 NIV), and the theme that runs throughout the entire Bible and cumulates in the gift of Salvation is this: God, our Ultimate Father, is actively involved in our affairs. Consider the following Truths:
1. God takes interest in each of His children: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NIV);
2. God always acts in our best interest: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” (Jer. 29:11 NIV); and He
3. God communicates with us and desires to give us guidance: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'” (Is. 30:21 NIV).
Because God is our ultimate Father, the concept of being created for God’s pleasure can perhaps be best understood from the perspective of a parent. Being a parent doesn’t mean that we should “play” with the young lives placed in our care, or that we should use them for our own selfish intentions. Rather, loving parents will take pleasure and find fulfillment in being interested in their children, in acting in their best interest, in communicating with them, in giving them guidance and in being actively involved in their affairs. The difference is subtle, yet any caring parent will understand that the idea of “taking pleasure” in our children is completely unselfish.
This is the kind of pleasure that is spoken of in Revelation 4:11 (“and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created”), and herein lies the key to finding our purpose in life. We were created to provide God with the pleasure of being involved in our lives, of providing for us, of interacting with us and communicating with us. Thus, we are bringing pleasure to God and fulfilling our God-given purpose when we do the following: Actively pursue a relationship with God; Allow Him to be our provision, our Rock, our help in time of trouble; Make the effort to spend time with Him; and Seek His will for our lives,
It actually doesn’t matter where we are in our walk in life or what profession (if any at all!) we have. It is completely immaterial whether or not we have even discovered God’s direction for our lives. Rather, in our search for purpose, we can rest assured that when we make an effort to spend time with God, when we put our trust in Him and allow Him to be our provision and our strength, we are fulfilling our purpose in life. Perhaps the best part, however, is this: When we make it our first priority to bring pleasure to God, we actually open the door for Him to provide us with guidance and a knowledge of His will!
Do you want to feel fulfilled in life? Do you desire to accomplish your purpose? Why not make it your number one goal to bring God pleasure? For it is truly, “for [God’s] pleasure that [we] exist and were created.” (Rev. 4:11 NLT).
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God’s Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.