
One of the biggest questions that many people face in this life may be summed up thus: “What am I in this world for? What is my purpose in life? What was God’s thought for me when he made me, and sent me here? How can I find out?”
“What am I here for?” Your being here is no accident; there is Divine design in it. God thought about you, and then made you, and sent you into the world for a purpose. There is a place He wants you to fill. There is a work He wants you to do. Something in the great Divine plan for the world depends upon your filling your place and doing your work with faithfulness. Other things will go wrong if you disappoint God by not fulfilling your mission. Even God will not do your work for you. It is a great step toward success to get deep into our hearts the conviction that God has a plan for our life – something that He made us to do.
“How shall I learn what my life’s mission is? What place did God make me to fill? What bit of work is just my own?” There really is nothing mysterious in these questions. No one ever needs to spend a moment in anxious questioning about it. There is a very easy way to find out what our mission is. If we simply do well the little duty of each day as it comes, we will be carrying out God’s thought and plan for our life; and at the end, we will find that we have finished the work which God gave us to do.
No one must ever imagine that his mission is some fine, ethereal service, unlike any common work of common people. Most likely it is something very commonplace. The lowliest people – those who work in the humblest places – are sent by God just as truly as those who write immortal poems or sit on thrones.
Nor must you imagine that if God made you for some definite place and work, He will lift you into your place and put the work into your hands in some supernatural way. God never did that for anybody. Even Jesus Himself spent thirty years in diligent study and hard work, in preparation for the three years of wonderful ministry for which He was specially sent into the world. Whatever fine or distinguished thing you may have been born to do, you must be trained for it in the common days and in the common ways.
“What am I in this world for?” You are here to do God’s will, and to fulfill His purpose for your life. He will make this purpose known to you – but only day by day, as you go on. If you do today’s work faithfully – whatever it is – as well as you can; then that will be a little of God’s will done, and a fragment of God’s plan for your life filled out. And then it will prepare you for doing the next day’s part of that plan when it is put into your hand.
Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is? Remember that God thought about you, and then made you, and sent you into the world to fill a place for Him and do a work for Him. And remember also that you are still serving the Lord, even if you find yourself in one of the humblest positions in life. A common mother, father, or child in the poorest cottage may serve Him just as truly as those who contribute great things to literature or govern nations.
Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on this article! Feel free to leave your reflections and ask your questions in the Comments section below.
God bless you and your family, this day and always.
All for the King’s glory,
Christian
photo by Lydia Bennett on Lightstock.com
This post is another installment of Miller’s Monday Musings, a weekly series that is published every Monday on our website. The series features selected writings that have been adapted from the works of James Russell Miller (1840-1912), a much-beloved Christian author and pastor who is well-remembered for his practical thoughts on Christian home and family life. Learn more about this weekly series by clicking here.
ESTIMADO HERMANO: SE CUAL ES MI LUGAR, CUAL ES EL PROPOSITO QUE TENGO EN ESTA VIDA, DIOS ME LLAMO A SERVIRLE A TRAVES DE LA ADOPCION DE NIÑOS DISCAPACITADOS, UN TRABAJO DE VERDADERO AMOR Y SACRIFICIO, AMO HACER ESTO, ES AMOR DE MADRE, AMOR INCONDICIONAL, POR AHORA HEMOS ADOPTADO 3 NIÑOS CON MUCHAS DIFICULTADES DE SALUD Y DISCAPACIDADES, Y SI DIOS LO PERMITE, ADOPTAREMOS OTRA NIÑA DE LAS MISMAS CONDICIONES. ESTE ES MI LUGAR EN EL QUE ME COLOCO DIOS, ASI LE SIRVO, UN DIA LE DIJE: HEME AQUI SEÑOR, ¿QUE QUIERES QUE HAGA? AMAMOS A ESTOS HIJOS QUE DIOS NOS DIO, LA GLORIA Y LA HONRA SEAN PARA EL. BENDICIONES DESDE BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.
[translation]
DEAR BROTHER: I KNOW WHAT MY PLACE IS, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE I HAVE IN THIS LIFE, GOD CALLED ME TO SERVE THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF DISABLED CHILDREN, A WORK OF TRUE LOVE AND SACRIFICE, I LOVE TO DO THIS, IT IS MOTHER’S LOVE, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, FOR NOW WE HAVE ADOPTED 3 CHILDREN WITH MANY HEALTH DIFFICULTIES AND DISABILITIES, AND IF GOD ALLOWS IT, WE WILL ADOPT ANOTHER GIRL OF THE SAME CONDITIONS. THIS IS MY PLACE IN WHICH GOD PLACED MYSELF, SO I SERVE HIM. ONE DAY I SAID HIM: HERE I AM LORD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? WE LOVE THESE CHILDREN THAT GOD GAVE US, THE GLORY AND HONOR BE FOR HIM. BLESSINGS FROM BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.
Hello Ana,
Thank you for sharing this! What a blessing it is to be able to serve the Lord by showing His love to these special children that He has placed in your life! May our God richly bless you in this much-needed but often-forgotten work that He has called you to be involved in.
Blessings from the USA,
Christian
[translation]
Hola Ana,
¡Gracias por compartir esto! ¡Qué bendición es poder servir al Señor mostrando Su amor a estos niños especiales que Él ha puesto en tu vida! Que nuestro Dios te bendiga ricamente en esta obra tan necesaria pero a menudo olvidada en la que te ha llamado a participar.
Bendiciones de los EE. UU.
Cristiano