YOU WERE BORN FOR PURPOSE - GOD'S PURPOSE!
In the competitive world of Cowboy Mounted Shooting, the horses are bred for specific purpose that requires speed and agility.
"Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand."
BORN FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE
Before we talk about you and me, and our specific purpose in life, let's take a quick look at the horse world. Horses are often bred for a specific purpose. This is especially true in the world of performance horses where genetics play a vital role in producing off-spring with a specific career purpose in mind. Look at it this way - if a breeder wants to create a top notch western pleasure horse, a hunter jumper, or a reining horse that can be competitive in todays highly specialized arena, then that breeder must leave nothing to chance. Why? Because his goal is to "create" a horse that is capable of living out the exact purpose that has already been pre-determined for him ahead of time.
Does the breeder's creation of a horse with all the right genetic "stuff" assure success? Not always. Even though the horse may have been created for greatness and a specific life-purpose, every horse is still an individual. The mind and the heart of a horse, along with his training, and the "want to" of his spirit, will ultimately determine whether or not a horse fulfills the purpose for which he was born. It will also determine whether or not that horse lives up to the "winning destiny" that was pre-planned for him before his mother's womb!
One of the most critical factors in assuring a competitive reining horse's success is pre-determined long before his birth. Within the Royal DNA of the Sire and Dam lies the true purpose for which their off-spring are born.
GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOU BEGAN BEFORE YOUR MOTHER'S WOMB
"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; ..."
(Jeremiah 1: 5)
Through the blood of Jesus Christ, you now have Royal DNA. That means you were born to be a winner!
You and I were also born for specific purpose - God's purpose! Right about now, someone is saying, "But you don't know what a bad family I came from. There's certainly no Royal DNA in my "gene pool"!" You're right, I don't know about your family, or even your daddy, or your grandpa. But if you have accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, and you are "born again", then you are part of God's family now. And you were created for a higher purpose than can be found in your earthly, inherited DNA, your personal life experience, or even you circumstances!
Think about this...
Because we are "born again" and spirit beings living within a natural body, our true Purpose transcends and goes beyond the natural pro-creation of our earthly parents. We are now blood-bought children of the King, and born for divine purpose!
God's Purposes Are Always Providential, And Never Circumstantial
"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."
(Psalm 139: 15)
Even though they have 4 legs, a mane, and a tail, there's a reason why draft horses don't enter and win the Kentucky Derby. It's not their God-given purpose. It takes a Thoroughbred to win the race!
If you wrap your head around what I am about to say, I believe it can change not only the way you think about yourself, but the way you live your life. When God creates, He creates with specific purpose in mind. And that includes His creation of you. You were not an afterthought, a mistake, an accident, or a gamble, irregardless of who your earthly parents were, or what their intentions were or were not when you were conceived. Remember, God knew you before your mother's womb. Think about that for a moment. Before your mother's womb, - you were already created by your Heavenly Father! In that space and time that belongs only to God, He masterfully created you in the secret place, forming you, and pre-destining you for His specific purpose.
Remember...
When your heavenly Father creates, - He always creates with purpose in mind. His hand in the lives and affairs of man is never circumstantial. It is always providential!
IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW LONG YOU LIVE - IT'S ABOUT LIVING THE TIME YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN WITH PURPOSE
"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me."
(John 6: 38-40)
My horse, Samson, was born and bred specifically for the western pleasure arena. Although I like doing different things with him now that we're retired from showing, like trying to rope the steer dummy, or rounding the poles, or even bridle-less riding, the fact remains that he was born and bred with a specific purpose in mind - western pleasure. And that is where he still shines brightest.
Have you ever stopped to consider the earthly life of Jesus Christ? Most likely, Jesus learned to do carpentry work as a young man, just as his earthly father, Joseph, did. And yet, Jesus knew that He had one specific purpose for which he was born, and it was more important than anything else he would ever do. He was born to "do the will" of Him (God) who had sent him. It's interesting to note here that Jesus didn't have 75 or 80 years to figure out his purpose in life. It was crucial that He understood from the beginning that his purpose was pre-destined by his Heavenly Father. Think about the fact that Jesus only lived 33 years on earth; a very short life relatively speaking. And yet, those short 33 years were enough to fulfill His Father's perfect will and purpose for his life.
Have you ever stopped to really consider God's purpose for your life? I'm not talking about your family's idea of what your purpose should be. I'm talking about your divine purpose - the real reason why God took the time and effort to create you in the secret place before your mother's womb.
Again, something to think about...
If you live your life with no greater purpose in mind than your own, the chances are good that your purpose in life is too small. When you live your life with God's Purpose in mind, you are capable of changing the world!
TAKING INVENTORY OF YOUR LIFE
"But for this purpose have I let you live, that I might show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."
(Exodus 9: 16)
One of Samson's greatest strengths is his trust in me to bring out the best in him. I do that by providing him with purpose.
Some people spend their entire life trying to discover their purpose. These people are easy to spot. They're always on a quest of self-exploration, always searching for personal gratification, and always on to the next thing after the last thing fails to satisfy. The Bible doesn't mince words when it comes to purpose. We weren't created to go on a vision quest for our own purpose. Our purpose has always been and will always be about God! That's a hard pill for the self-indulgent person whose thoughts are no deeper than the small world they live in to swallow!
So, what do we, as Christians, do when we are ready to let go of our own desires and seek God's true purpose for our life? If I could sit down with you and have a personal conversation for an hour, most likely I would discern your heart, and even take note of your God-given gifts. Your heart and your God-given gifts hold important keys to your purpose. Someone out there right now is probably saying, "But I don't have any God-given gifts." The fact is, you do have gifts that have been handcrafted especially for you. God placed them within you at the same time He formed and knit you together in your mother's womb. The fact that you do not recognize your God-given gifts tells me that you are not living out the purpose for which God created you. Why? Because the Bible says that it is your gift that will make the way for you!
"A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men."
(Proverbs 18: 16)
AND FINALLY, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE WITH PURPOSE
"They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green,..."
(Psalm 92: 14)
It's never too late to live life with purpose.
Did you know that you and I are ageless? I know, it's hard to believe that when we see the years go flying by, and especially if we don't look or feel like we once did. I'm in my early 60's now. I don't know how or when that happened! One day, as they say in the south, I realized I was only seeing half of my problems. I decided to go for an eye exam. It turns out I was legally blind. When I asked the doctor why, she simply stated with a devilish grin on her face, "Because you're getting old!"
Then one day, while looking at my face in the mirror, there stood my mother looking back at me! I looked just like my mom - the old version. The initial shock nearly buckled my knees. I saw crows-feet around my eyes where once there had been smooth skin, and there were wrinkles in places I hadn't even known existed before! I thought to myself, "And for this, I needed glasses?"
Alas, I've got some really good news for those of us who are becoming more and more aware of the hourglass. Yes, we only get one time around in this earth-bound body suit that we presently live in. But this isn't all there is. We are created in the image of God, and He has given us eternal life through His son, Jesus Christ. That means that we aren't temporary, throw-away beings just because we die an earthly death. Why? Because although our bodies are made from the dust of the ground, and will return to the earth, our spirits are eternal and made in the image of Christ. And one day, where our Heavenly Father is, - we will be also! Plain and simple, that means that you and I will never really die. And neither will the purpose for which we were born!
Never Forget ...
You Were Born For Purpose - God's Purpose!
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