Purpose

" GOAL DIRECTED BEHAVIOUR IS OBSERVED IN ALL BODIES OBEYING NATURAL LAWS, EVEN WHEN THEY LACK AWARENESS.
BUT NOTHING LACKING AWARENESS CAN TEND TO A GOAL EXCEPT IT BE DIRECTED BY SOMEONE WITH AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING; THE ARROW, FOR EXAMPLE, REQUIRES AN ARCHER.
EVERYTHING IN NATURE, THEREFORE, IS DIRECTED TO ITS GOAL BY SOMEONE WITH UNDERSTANDING, AND THIS WE CALL GOD" - AQUINAS

PURPOSE.

For a lot of people, purpose is, back of the mind, too scary to think about, living for the now, kind of a thought.
Trying to find our purpose on earth seems, for some, unachievable and unattainable.

When I was younger, I questioned what life was about. I looked at the world in an abstract way, questioning the societal norms that people live in day by day until the end of our lives.
As I looked at the world, I saw the schedule, and the plan....
School, uni, job, marriage, kids, retirement, grandkids.

Is that life? Is that satisfying for a life of 80 years or so?
Why, if every animal, every tree and everything else within the world has a greater purpose, would we not?

At 14, the future terrified me. I saw no way out of the socially inflicted life that seemed to be laid out and planned before me.
I felt like I had no substantial purpose.
In reality, I discovered the purpose of my life, not long after I had questioned it.

Picture this:
Some may say our purpose is to achieve happiness...
BUT what about those who are depressed, or those who don't feel happy?
Do they not have a purpose?

Some may also say that our purpose is to have a family...
BUT what about those who never marry or never have kids?
Do they not have a purpose?

PURPOSE is something we can all have.
Jesus' love and grace is something that we can all have, whether we are poor or rich, happy or sad, married or single.
So what does God say our purpose is?
To share the gospel and make disciples. (Exodus 9:16, Matthew 28:19)

In 2012, when I started following Jesus, the fear that had gripped me, left. The feeling of being lost left me as I was found (Luke 15:1-7), because I was made to feel loved, worthy and needed.
A love so contagious filled me that I couldn't keep it in, a love that excited me so much that I knew my life can be used as a way to declare it, I can be a vessel for his love, I can show others his freedom and I can reach out and have impact on people's lives.

A freedom where my purpose is at the front of my mind, not the back. Where you can feel full in your heart without necessarily being happy, because emotions are fleeting, but God is not. Where you can feel direction without doing the things planned for you by the world.

The purpose God can give is one where even when things are falling apart, your eyes remain fixed on your goal...passion, fire and enthusiasm still floods your soul as you glimpse at the lost world that continually moves around you.

The future has no restrictions, life is not a schedule.
God is not confined to... School, uni, job, marriage, kids, retirement and grandkids.
Our purpose may be one thing, but that thing is not dull, it's not restrictive.... It's exciting and forever moving forward.

It gives you meaning and it gives you life. 

Because even though it's one thing, it is given to us by the creator of all things, the one that gave the bees and the trees purpose, the one who has promised to help us in fulfilling his promise and plans for our lives.

As Aquinas said, God is the archer, he gives us the direction, his aim is perfect and it's always for a reason. 

When To Walk

(MATTHEW 14:26-9)

'.....AND PETER ANSWERED HIM, "LORD, IF IT IS YOU, COMMAND ME TO COME TO YOU ON THE WATER". HE SAID "COME". SO PETER GOT OUT OF THE BOAT AND WALKED OUT ON THE WATER AND CAME TO JESUS"


JESUS WALKS ON WATER.

Walking on water is an undeniably difficult feat. Continuous movement in multiple directions, with no resistance underfoot to carry our weight. It therefore comes as no surprise that, thus far,  only 2 have successfully conquered the waves and their unsteadiness. One being the son of God, the other, one of his 3 closest friends.

I wonder if Jesus walked.
Jesus....fully God, fully man, so confident in the Father that he endeavours to walk on the raging, stormy sea, despite every physics fact upholding that it is entirely impossible.
 He could have strutted knowing that no matter what, he would not fail with God on his side.
 He could have skipped knowing that his footing would not be lost.
He could have moonwalked knowing that he would not lose the direction he set out to go in.
 His trust was so secure in God, that the physics of the world itself could not restrict him.

As people, we have the tendency to doubt.

When I was younger, we used to go on road trips a lot, to visit my nan or go on holiday. On each of these road trips we would always drive back at night, exhaustion would grip my little body, and as I drifted off into an uncomfortable - seat belt digging in, no pillow - sleep, I would contemplate the critical world issues...if I got a pony, when I'd next see my friends, my existence and more often than not, my bizarrely deep-thinking self would wonder what I would do if my family was to ever just drop me off somewhere unknown.

Morbid and depressing indeed.

Whilst this would never happen and there was no reason for me to even be considering this, it is interesting how we question everything and everyone, doubting others and having restraint when it comes to trusting others.

With this in mind, how can we know that after stepping out of the boat, we will not sink and be helped in this unstable environment?

A question, myself and many others have mulled over before is...

When is it time to step out?


Taking this passage as a guide, we assess...

When did Peter step out?
When he knew Jesus was there

How did Peter know it was OK?
When Jesus said "come"  

In reality now, however, for Christ followers, Jesus isn't physically there when we step out, and he isn't necessarily always as clear to us as he was to Peter.

How can we know that when we feel as though we should step out, God will be there to guide us and provide the support we need?
 The interesting thing is, we cannot know for sure, what kept Peter above water was faith (Hebrews 11:1 ' faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen'). Peter knew it was impossible, yet he had faith that he could walk on the waves. In reality, Peter was most likely petrified, Jesus said one word, and Peter went. Yet it would seem the uncertainty only gripped Peter after he made the step, by which point Jesus was there to pull him up.

If, as followers of Christ, we believed he was resurrected, surely, we too can believe he walked on water.
And if we believe this, that therefore follows that we can believe he will be there to guide us and help us upon stepping out of the boat.

With the spirit within us, and the instruction to go (Mark 16:15), anytime we go, anytime we step out, we can be reassured that God is there, that if we stumble, as Peter did, we have a God who is moonwalking on the water, ready to provide encouragement and help as we make a bold step towards him.

Stillness

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD - Psalm 46:10

Stillness.

For someone who has always lived in a town outside of London, stillness is an unfamiliar, inconceivable concept. Stillness only happens at night if you don't have things that need to be ready for the next day, bills to pay, young kids or worry keeping your mind and body awake.

Stillness only happens on Christmas morning after you've opened all your presents and you're in the period in between that and dinner...as you sit anxiously awaiting something to do.
Stillness for the city slickers doesn't even happen on holiday.
Holidays are skiing, watersports, mountaineering, and rushing off to do the next tourist activity. Holidays are needed to recover from holidays.

Do we as the city folk even know how to be still?

We used to go on holiday a lot to France when I was growing up, not to the peak tourist areas, but the country. Where 'town' was a street with, if you're lucky, a corner shop and post box. Where old men would sit out on plastic chairs in front of their houses and watch the world go by for hours on end. Where old ladies would sit on park benches watching the game of boule.

For the city folk...an absolute nightmare.
Sit for 5 minutes and you can list a thousand things you could be doing instead.
But for communities like the French countryside, the people are more reliant on observance, they see things and they appreciate things. Putting time and love and care into things is essential.

This year, I have been battling with stillness and my own minds misconception that stillness equates to unproductivity and laziness. That because my life largely consists of meeting up with people or days at home, my purpose is lacking.
That because in this season I am not working, my worth in society decreases.

A misconception indeed.

In the recent series in church we discussed the concept that the devil can use busyness as a method to draw us away from God.
And as I sit here on the balcony I am reminded of all the days I have had where I became anxious due to having no plans.
The enemy has successfully misconstrued my thoughts to think that these days are a curse, when in actual fact these days are an incredible blessing from the Lord himself.
A year of no working, with provision, a roof over my head, friends, a supportive family, a beautiful country and a glorious church.

In what possible way could this be viewed as anything but a blessing?

But stillness in a fast paced society does instigate feelings of anxiety, laziness and unproductivity. Because to society, without a high flying, 6 figure earning career, who even are you?

Ah society, little do you know that our identity is not embedded in careers or working everyday. Our identity is embedded in the Lord God almighty who calls us to be still, who reminds us to rest and whose very son took time to simply

'know that I am God'.

And surely, if it's good enough for the Son of God, it's most definitely good enough for us!