Assignments Pave the Way to Purpose
The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
"Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” — a complete life full of purpose" (John 10:10).
Our purpose is defined by the divine decision and design of God. We can't grasp the full scope of our purpose without experiencing many assignments along the way. These assignments include every step we make towards and in Christ Jesus. Assignments help us to get closer to our mission. We are on a mission. We can sense and know that we are a part of something bigger than just us, as individuals. This is a divinely implanted sense that there is more to life, and that life has a greater meaning; and that there is a bigger picture we can only see by faith in God. God has placed eternity in our hearts and the scope of it is great.
On a personal level we know that we have a divinely inspired purpose. There are many assignments we may have to complete, but we only have one purpose. Purpose is singular, the work is singular, but the assignments to complete our work and purpose will entail many.
The assignments have not ended from being in a classroom and having to do assigned lessons to complete each grade. The difference is the purpose has changed. Those lessons were different in structure. Nevertheless there was structure for learning lessons. The teacher gave us a lesson to complete which required that we think it through and report those findings in the way of a report with a main idea and all that we discovered.
The purpose of the assignment was to ensure we understood what we had read and learned. The Holy Spirit gives assignments when we read the Word of God, there is a question and answer period that goes on as well. We take notes and review them and that is one of the ways we speak to God to let Him know that we are listening and understand what He is saying through His Words. Some of us write our answers and share them in the way of books, hubs and articles and other communicative ways. We share what we are learning as well as what we have learned, with the hope of meeting a need in others.
We can sense that there is something of value for which we exist. But what? Is to be overwhelmed by the big picture, instead of living the assignments we are given. We hunger to know that there is a reason for our being. Purpose is not something we decide, it something that has already been decided for us, and is a matter of discovering what that entails. We don't decide our purpose even when we think we do. We are inspired by the Holy Spirit as we are led.
"But there is a spirit in a man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding" (Job 32:8 KJV).
We are really discovering our purpose as we go. We don't have purposes we have a purpose. Every assignment is for the same purpose. Purpose comes through progressive revelation.
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in him: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:9-11 KJV).
Through progressive revelation are we coming into and understanding the mystery of God's will, according to the good pleasure He purposed in and through Christ Jesus towards us. In the fullness of times speaks of completion of the big picture. A lot goes on in time to move us towards our purpose. I perceive these intervals as assignments that we as individuals must complete to move to the next assignment successful in the scope of our overall purpose. We have obtained an inheritance for which we were predestinated according to God's purpose through Christ in who He is working all things after the counsel of His own will.
The best thing we can pray is.....Thy will be done. God chose us, we didn't chose Him. Predestination speaks of God's foreknowledge and omniscience, before the foundations of the world, God knew you and me and by His divine decision we are chosen and called to His purpose. Our lives are being shifted and re-positioned under His divine order. It is because of God and Him alone that we have a purpose for living and that purpose gives our lives meaning. Defining purpose and then understanding our purpose makes discovery a success to know what we are called to do, but we must believe that first we are chosen by Almighty God.
God choses and calls us individually, yet that choice is into one Spirit. We all have spirits yet we are chosen and called by one Spirit of which we are being transformed and conformed into, the image and likeness of God through His Spirit. This calling we have is an election. In the world we know of election and we vote to elect someone for an office. In God we are His election and selection. Purpose is clarified in being chosen and called. To what? God's sovereign purpose in Christ. The answer to purpose lies only in Christ. Purpose can't be understood without Christ.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn amongst many brethren" (Romans 8:28-29 KJV).
We who were once dead in trespasses and sins are now quickened to the purpose of God through Christ Jesus for us individually and collectively. It is a delight to have true purpose for living. Without God I had no purpose, I don't recall wanting or desiring to be anything in particular. I was clueless and goalless. Now bless the Lord, He has shifted me from the aimlessness I used to be, into someone who has true divinely orchestrated purpose.
In the understanding it takes to grasp being chosen and called by God Himself and to be given purpose, is also the fact that He loved you and me with an everlasting love, this love didn't start when we accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord. It began in eternity. He so loved the world that he sent Christ to save us and to assure us that if we believe in Him, we will have and live with Him in eternity. God has been loving us for a long, long time. God made a divine decision that you and I would be one of His very own. We are saved by His grace, He sent grace to tell us to come as we are, we can't clean our selves up only grace would be able to plead our case for a love we could never earn or deserve on any given day. Grace is a gift and we can never earn a gift, because if we could it would fail to be a gift, it would be a reward and something we perceive we deserve.
Have you ever worked for a staffing firm that sent you on temporary assignments? Generally you would have to acquire a certain mindset and patience for this type of work. You know intuitively that it is temporary, but that it could become permanent; but that it is an assignment that you're being sent on for the purpose of performing certain tasks and duties until the assignment expires. Assignments have expiration dates. The big picture is full time work and purpose advancement. There you go to the assigned place to work. Although full-time work is your goal.
Assignments entail those times you spend in the Word of God learning discipline and being taught how to practically apply the lessons you are taught to your life. We all have assignments to complete every single day if we pay tribute to what the Word is counseling us to do, these times entail the opportunities we get to be doers of the Word. Each opportunity is an assignment from God. If I want to be a better person than I was yesterday I must be ready to implement the truths I am being taught to manifest these new changes. There will be a task I must complete to improve and to go on to the next assignment.
The same premise is applicable to all the work we are called to do for God. Oftentimes we get consumed by the big picture of this work and fail to realize that within this very vast scope of work we are given assignments. Here's a question to ask yourself? What is my assignment at this present moment? Assignments usually are short term projects that lead us closer and closer to the attitudes we need for the fulfillment of the work God has for us individually that spills over into a corporate reality. Do we and will we know when an assignment has ended and how to go on to the next assignment? In the natural somehow and someway we will be made aware of the end date of an assignment, yet there is work we were doing is a team spirited effort that others will have to do once our assignment has ended.
I've just completed an assignment that was only supposed to last 6 months, but was extended to 8 months. During this assignment I've learned many new tasks but now I am seeing in retrospect how we go to work or we have work to do, which does not seem to have an end, whether we or someone continues what needs be done. We all have assignments which must be accomplished by us to completion, but the overall work doesn't have an end date. If we look at the full scope or the big picture of the work we are given to do, it would more than likely overwhelm us. Yet the work is broken down into intervals of daily exercises we must accomplish to get us towards the completion. Yet we know that work is never completed in our daily run, only assignments get completed. Whether you multitask or not, this type of work has no completion date, but your assignment may. There is a finishing point for the day, however, we must pick back up tomorrow where we left off at. The end date to our work is when Jesus returns, we don't know the day or the hour, therefore do we occupy until He returns.
Retirement dates may alleviate us from not returning to work permanently, but is the work you started done? no, it will continue even long after you leave.
It is our perspective concerning work on every level that will help us to understand and know to do the best job you possibly can while you are employed, and know that it the work that you are doing is non ending. Jesus was asked by some, what must we do to work the work of God, He replied the work of God is to believe in the one who He has sent. Sounds like full time work to me. When can we afford to end our belief and faith in Jesus Christ? We can't there are challenges and assignments we must complete to advance to the next level of faith as we travel from glory to glory and occupy until He returns.
As Christians there is work which must be done and we all have our own gifts and talents which assist us in doing the work we are given. Jesus was asked by someone, what was necessary to work the works of God. Jesus said, the work of God is to believe in the one whom He has sent. This is the full scope of what working the works of God entails; belief in Jesus Christ. This work is ongoing and there are no breaks and time outs.
The Word of God is like soap, it does you no good unless you apply it. Every time you open the Word of God look for your assignment. What is this passage requiring of me? An assignment requires note taking because everything the Holy Spirit says is note-worthy. Grace and peace!
