Do you have a bucket list?
If so, what are some of the things on it? If not, what might be some things you’d put on it if you had one?
Now think about this, what if you weren’t able to mark anything (else) off of your bucket list. How would you feel? There are new studies available that show nearly 98% of people in the US die without fulfilling their dreams. And it’s not about something they’ve done that they regret, it’s about what they didn’t do.
I find that not only fascinating, but so consistent with how we approach life and the things that we tend to focus on. For some reason we tend to have a fixation on the things we don’t have, or haven’t done, rather than what we do. And it’s been that way from the beginning.
Think back to Adam and Eve in the garden. They really only had one rule to follow. Only one “don’t”. God told them not to eat the fruit of the tree of life. And when the serpent showed up, it quickly got Eve fixated on that one “don’t”, and she completely forgot about all the “have’s” and “do’s” that were readily available to her.
You see, when we focus on what we don’t have, we almost always end up completely missing the wonder of everything that we do have. Too many people today live without purpose simply because they are focused on the wrong things.
Through this study, we’ve already pointed out how we are created for community - to be in relationship with God and each other. It’s just one of the many ways that we bear God’s image. And once we truly choose to live into these relationships, we find purpose and meaning as we discover who God created us to be and who God has called us to be within the community that surrounds us.
Jesus' two simple words, “Follow Me,” were the catalyst for life changing community to those who responded then and now. It’s not about waiting on a voice from heaven to tell you what to do. It’s simply about responding to Jesus’ words, and choosing to follow Him. God has already given us His word, He’s speaks to us through the Bible. And, if we’ll read it, we’ll discover how He is speaking to each one of us to help us understand who He is, who we are, and who He is calling us to be.
Yes, we are all different. We all have different likes and dislikes, different needs and wants, but God is at work right now shaping you for a purpose—to do something—and most likely it’s not somewhere far off, but in and with the community and family right in front of you.
What is it that is pulling at your heart? What are your longings and desires? Ask God for the wisdom and opportunity to live into them in your current circumstances. For now, God has placed you right where He needs and wants you to be, whether it’s the people He needs to have in your life or the place where your purpose will be more fully realized.
Reflect on this and the suggested Scripture as you fast today. May God bless your day as you
seek to be more like Him.
Daily Reading: Community Helps You Find Purpose
Psalm 82:3; Micah 6:8; Mark 16:15
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