Are You Called?

 

A ‘Purpose Driven Life’ is a critically acclaimed book by author Rick Warren, the book is designed to help readers unlock their God given purposes and helps to answer three life changing questions:

  • The Question of Existence: Why am I alive?
  • The Question of Significance: Does my life matter?
  • The Question of Purpose: What on earth am I here for?

I’ve never actually read this book but recently the book’s title came to mind. I never realized the power in the title alone, ‘A Purpose Driven Life”.  In the title, Rick Warren was telling us that our lives should be driven by our purposes and purpose alone. That our purposes should be the determining factor in the decisions we make, places we go and life changes we implement. Thirteen years after the release of this book, I would discover that hidden truth for myself; that unlocking your purpose not only gives direction to our lives, but simplifies and focuses our lives.

Our lives are made up of many purposes, small purposes that eventually lead to and make up this grand picture that God decided long ago.  In the various season of our lives, there is a purpose God has set in place for us to accomplish; there is always a role or mission He wants us to complete. In each season of our lives it is important that we position ourselves in a posture that allows us to hear from God and gain clarity on what it is He would have us to do, why He has placed us in certain environments and the people He is putting in position to walk with us or help us along our journey.

If our purposes should be the determining factor in the decisions we make, places we go and life changes we implement, is this one of the determining factors when it comes to the people we are in relationship with? Yes, each relational connection in our lives should serve our purpose and play a functional role in our lives. As we are walking out our purposes, we have to understand that a large part of fulfilling our purposes lies in the people that God calls us into relationship with.

For me, this was key in fostering healthy but also purposeful relationships in my life; relationships that accomplish God’s purposes in my life. This way of relational thinking also ensures that we are clear and effective in our roles that we are called to play in the lives of others. There are many levels to these relationships. Purposeful relationships are also a safeguard to our spiritual, emotional and mental health; allowing us the capacity to limit what or who we take on in life.  Purposeful relationships provide clarity; preventing us from dropping someone spiritually or stunting someone’s spiritual growth because we weren’t clear on the role they played in our lives.

I believe that, more than ever, God is calling us to be more intentional when it comes to our relationships. The people in our lives have such an impact who who we are and how we operate in life. There are people in 2018, that God is going to want you to pour into and serve; there are people in 2018, that God is going you use to grow you; there are people in 2018 that God is going to want you to cut ties with; there are new people in 2018 that God is going to want you to welcome into your life; there are people in 2018 that God is going to bring in your life, who  will remain in your life for a little while and there are people in 2018 that are going to stay a little longer. We have to be clear on these realities, so that we handle our relational shifts appropriately and ensure that we don’t resist the purposeful moves God is orchestrating in our lives.

We have to begin to understand that our purposes and destinies don’t only affect our lives but the lives of the people around us; and that are purposes and destinies are dependent on and are for other people.

Do the relationships in your life draw you closer to the Lord or pull you away from Him? Does that relationship make you a better person or does it bring out the worse in you? Does that relationship push you towards your purpose or is it a distraction, pulling you in the opposite direction of a purpose driven life? In 2018, I challenge you to be intentional about evaluating, cultivating and gaining clarity on the relationships in your life.

 

This first question, I think we need to ask ourselves…

Am I called to this person?

And if so, what role does God want me to play in this person’s life?

 

xoxo

Olayinka