Purpose

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!"  John 12:27-28

Ever think about what life would be like if you gave glory to God every moment of every day?  I have, and just the thought of the amount of joy and happiness that would come from that overwhelms me.  Jesus is about to be crucified and His soul is crying out in anguish; yet, does He give up?  No.  Does He complain?  Certainly not.  He glorifies God!  What a testimony I want to live!  Jesus knew His purpose for coming to this broken world was to save it.  He knew that He would live the most perfect life and die the most painful and undeserving death.  Regardless, He endured the pain so we could be forgiven, so we could live life to the fullest!  That concept gives me chills. 

So, what's my purpose?  What's my story?  Well, reading this passage and listening to sermons really got me thinking about it.  What am I currently doing in my life to bring glory to God?  What am I living for? 

First, the most important thing for me to constantly remember is that my purpose is to glorify God in everything I do.  It has been said, "The greatest sermon you will ever preach is to suffer well".  Wait, what?  This hit me hard.  So often, it's easy to lose my testimony when I'm going through trials.  But, if I focus on my purpose in life {to glorify God in everything}, the trials will be mere obstacles.  "For when I am weak, He is strong."  I need to remember that purpose looks past pain. 

So then, how am I glorifying God daily?  It's not enough to just go to church.  I don't want religion.  I want a relationship.  Once I establish the firm foundation, I am then able to live out the life God designed me to live.  I can then glorify Him because I am in one-ness with who He is.  We're on the same page, so to speak.  This is something I've been working on.  The more I communicate with God, the easier it is to glorify Him in every circumstance.  "The thief came to kill, steal, and destroy.  I came so that you may have life and life to the full." John 10:10

Needless to say, God's doing a mighty work in my life and I couldn't be more excited.  He's really been tugging at my heart to step out of my comfort zone to make His name known.  I may not think I'm ready, but He's preparing me for something I'm not going to want to miss.  So, regardless of my fears and anxieties, I'm ready.  "Here I am, send me!"