Why Your Life Needs a Purpose | Daily Devotional

Introduction

My birthday is like two months away and this year I’m turning 35 years old. So depending on who you are, that seems really young or that could just seem ancient depending on where you’re at in life. But for me, I reflect on that a little bit and it freaks me out because what have I done with my life? I know I could still have a lot of time left, right? Jesus had already lived his whole life by now, and maybe that’s the wrong person to weigh my life against. Jesus was done with His ministry, I think, around 33, 34, something like that. So, I mean, I’m a long way from that, all He’s accomplished.

The Question of Accomplishment

I remember a conversation with a cousin of mine, actually. He’s a little bit older than I am. I’ve looked up to him for a long time. He’s a really sharp guy. His name is Darren, and I feel like I can say his name because I don’t think he listens to this podcast. If I thought he did, I for sure wouldn’t. I don’t want his head getting too big, but he’s really sharp, I respect his opinion, and I remember a conversation, and for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was about, but he had said something, because I was frustrated at something at the time, and it was clear to me that after he said this phrase, he said this to me, so what is it you’re trying to accomplish? I think I had a hard time articulating that, And at the end of that conversation, it didn’t hit me then, it hit me later on, I think that evening, where I was like, yeah, that’s a really good question to be asking. What is it I’m trying to accomplish? For the life of me, I don’t remember what it was, but why doesn’t that occur to me more throughout my life. And so I took that phrase from him. That was probably eight, nine years ago when I was discussing that. It has kind of stuck with me since. I say that a lot, at least in my head, where I’m like, so what is it I’m doing here? Why am I doing this? What am I trying to accomplish? I mean, that is a really good phrase to take and to make part of your life.

The Busyness of Life

I have four kids. My oldest is seven, so it’s really busy at my house right now. I feel wore out, and sometimes at the end of the day, I just feel like I’m running, running, running, and did I get anything done? right and my life is just going to be flashing before my eyes. I mean the popular saying of the days are long and years are short, I completely understand now what that means and where I mean we’re just flying along. I feel like I just had my first kid and here we are she’s seven and we’re just I mean I’m already like freaking out about like is she gonna get married soon are we driving yet like what’s what’s happening it’s like flashing by, but at the same time I’m wore out, I’m tired, and at the end of the day, am I really accomplishing anything? And that’s a super, super concern for me. I just, I don’t want to end up at the end of my life and have nothing to show for it.

Finding Purpose in Romans

As I’m reading through Romans, this is towards the end of chapter 8, there’s a section here that I want to talk through because there’s a lot of scripture verses that people quote often, and you know, sometimes they may take them out of context, which that is a huge pet peeve of mine, like, what is the author trying to accomplish here? But many of these are used appropriately, and it is in Romans chapter 8, that’s the last section in it, there’s a heading for it that says, more than conquerors. And when I get to that, even just that phrase, because that is actually pulled out of verse 37. It says that we’re more than conquerors. And for me, it’s like, more than conquerors? Like, I strive to be a conqueror. How do we get to a place where we’re more than conquerors? Like, we’re just trying to, are we just survivors? I feel like that sometimes. Like, I’m just trying to survive this thing, let alone conquer it. And then this part of scripture is like, we should be more than conquerors. Like that, we are more than that. That is way above my surviving mindset. So this is a real reorganization of my thoughts here and what the purpose is in my life. What is it I’m trying to accomplish?

God’s Purpose and Love

Starting in verse 29, it says, and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. You got to remember all the persecution that all these guys are enduring. That’s the one thing that we’re not in the midst of, at least the most of us aren’t. And if you are, remember that the persecution, that God can use everything for his good, as long as you’re living according to his purpose. So, if you’re going through hard times and trials because, well, you’ve made really dumb mistakes and you’re living for yourself, that’s a little bit different. God can use those when you start living according to His purposes again. And if you don’t go back to Him and you’re not living your life for Him, then you just gotta go through stuff for no reason. God doesn’t just use everything for His good, but it’s for those who have been called according to His purposes, who are loving Him and living for Him, God can use anything that happens in your life and can use it to give Him glory and honor. And if the purpose of your life is to give Him glory and honor, then you win because that is when God can use you no matter what’s going on in your life. He will use it to give Him honor and glory.

The Unbreakable Love of God

In verse 31, it says, Who can be against us? God is the one who redeems us. God is the one who justifies. So, who can condemn us? If our relationship with God is good, what possibly could you worry about? There is nothing else. That is the one and most important thing, and really at the end of the day, nothing else really matters. Because when we’re right with Him, we have that just one-on-one. That is me, and it is God. And in verse 35, it says, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who? Nobody. Nobody can separate us. That is only something that I can separate from God based on turning my back on Him and rebelling against Him again. That is not something anybody else can do. That is on me. And I love how this chapter ends. I want to read through the end, starting in verse 37, that says, No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Conclusion

What is the purpose of your life? What is it you’re trying to accomplish? What have you been doing? What’s been your main focus? Let’s re-evaluate what our life looks like and what’s important to us, and let’s make Him the priority again. For what it’s worth, those are my thoughts on Romans chapter 8 at the end there, 28 and following. And as always,