Purpose - Keeping the main thing the main thing

Vision-where am I going – outcomes
Direction – signposts along the way –staying on track
Purpose – Keeping the main thing the main thing

What is our main purpose?
Our main purpose is to glorify God. In everything we do, this is our main purpose. This is worth thinking about and asking ourselves -Does everything I do bring glory to God?

We can’t do everything but we can do something. There is something that God has called us to do. There are ways and means to finding our purpose. We can ask questions:
What am I passionate about?
What would I do if money were no limit? A thought here– maybe we should be getting on and doing what we would do, as if money were no limit?

Know that our core purpose is found in seeking God and in seeking his purpose for us, and not our own. Knowing all this, having our vision and direction set – how do we keep the main thing the main thing?
What then distracts us from the purpose that we are called to live? There are many things, but let me offer three.

1. Busyness – trying to do too much
One of the main things that stop us from fulfilling our purpose – that side-track us is busyness and distractions. There is the right kind of busy and the wrong kind of busy. We can be busy with the wrong things.

Ps 39:6
We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.

Busyness that ends in nothing is not fulfilling for anyone – achieves nothing and is not kingdom productive.

Haggai 1:9
You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.

This is the wrong kind of busyness. They had been given a task by God to rebuild the Temple – but they were busy with the wrong things – only looking after self and without maintaining a kingdoms focus. They had allowed the busyness of lif to distract them.

Prov 31:19
Her hands are busy spinning thread,
    her fingers twisting fibre.

The woman of noble character had a kingdom focus. She is a picture of a woman in charge of a household and a woman of business – but she had her priorities right – doing what God called her to do.

Ecc 11:6
Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

Here we have good advice – work on what is important and don’t get side-tracked.

How do we know the difference between the two? The answer I believe is found in how productive our busyness actually is.

Is our “busy” Kingdom focussed? What do I mean? Simply – is it directed at what you are actually called to do (wherever that may be)?

Are we actually doing what we are meant to be doing and not being distracted by other things that take up time – the time wasters? We have lots of distractions and time wasters – social media is great, but it’s also a great time waster if you let it.

For example: you start doing something – notice your friend is on chat – chat a bit – discover that time has gone  by and now what you were doing needs to be squished into the remaining time.

There are many things that will vie for our attention, and they are not necessarily bad in themselves. Social media is not inherently bad and at times is incredibly useful and can be productive – provided we use it the right way.

We can overcome this by taking a good look at how we spend our time and setting boundaries around how and when we will use social media. We can look at the time wastets snd make changes.

What takes up the bulk of our time?

In what way is it adding to or distracting from our purpose each day?

What boundaries will I put in place to keep busy with the right things?

2. Envy
Envy is wanting what other people have rather than being thankful for what we have. We know we are made in God’s image – we know we are blessed by God with different gifts and talents, but we still have a strong tendency to think we have been short changed and someone else has something better than us.

This is really about focus and motivation. Are we thankful for what we do have or always wishing we had something else? Are we always comparing ourselves to what others have, instead of being thankful?

Gal 6:4

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Stay focussed on what your part is and do that well – not forever comparing ourselves with others, either positively or negatively to them.

Ps 37:1
Don’t worry about the wicked
    or envy those who do wrong

It’s easy to be envious of those who seem to have everything and yet are not following God's ways. God says don’t be envious – just trust him – he will give you your heart’s desire. As we wrap ourself up in God, we can focus on what he has for us and not envy others.

Envy is debilitating because it places our focus on the wrong things, and distracts us from our purpose.

Ecc 4:4
Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbours. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind

Envy is a motivation of the heart. The word means envy, jealousy and zealously desiring. In this context it is zealously desiring something that someone else has.

Jesus says that what is inside us is what defiles us and that all kinds of things such as greed and envy and idolatry come from there. When we are seeking to fulfil God’s purpose, there is no place for envy and desiring what others have.

Valerie Burton had a good blog on this recently – and it talked about being thankful for what you do have. If you are not happy – find something in what you do that you like and be happy about it.

What is she saying? She is saying look for the positive and start there and then the things we desire, when we have the right heart motivation will begin to fall into place.

What motivates me?

Is it a good motive or a negative one?

What will I do to change this? –e.g  start a gratitude book etc.

3. Other good things
This can be one of the biggest distractions.

There are so many good things we can be involved with and do, and we can get so busy doing them, that we are not doing what we actually need to do and are called to do.

You can’t do everything but you can do something. Find your something and do it well.

When we try to do too many things we don’t achieve much at all but we can feel good because we are doing stuff, but we are distracted from purpose and not giving our best. Give your best – to God and to others.

Ps 32:8
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you.

God shows us what is best for us – to guide and lead us in the things he has for us to do. What we produce is meant to give honour to God.

Prov 3:9
Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.

This is talking about bringing offerings to God and making sure what we bring is the very best. It’s also true of our purpose – we are to bring God the very best. Doing good things is not giving God the best

There are many great causes in the world and so many things in the world that we can be involved in. Choose prayerfully what you will do, because you are not called to do everything and support every cause.

It is better to give our attention to one or two things than to try to give it to everything.

Jesus knew his purpose and knew that it was better for everyone involved if he stuck with it. God’s purpose is fulfilled when we stick with what he has given us to do.

John 16:7
But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.

It seemed good to the disciples to keep Jesus around them but Jesus knew it was better for him to fulfil his purpose and allow a bigger purpose – the out pouring of the Spirit to be able to happen.

Good things can actually get in the way of God’s best for us – and in the way of us giving our best to Him.

What “good” things am I doing that are stopping me doing what is best?

What “good” things has God called me to do?

Conclusion
There is a call and a purpose for each of us. Will we pursue God’s best for us?

Learn to avoid the distractions of busyness, envy and other good things.

Focus on the best God has for us.