Purpose

My/ our collective purpose has been on my mind lately. It is so incredibly natural and easy to live without much regard for a higher being and His will and purpose for our life. Sports/ school/ friends/ family/ and anything else in the world you can think of can make us (temporarily, at least) forget what we are doing here. At this point in my life, maybe my biggest worry is what God's will is (more specifically) for me in the future. That is totally the wrong way to think about things but it is difficult not to do so. I too often wonder what my life will look like in 3,5,10 years. What are we called to do? Matthew 28: 19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." This says, to me anyway, that we need to build relationships with people while here in our mortal life.

Side note: I often wonder if my somewhat passive approach to evangelizing is the best thing for this purpose. Should I be actively seeking out people to tell about Jesus? I am certainly less comfortable with that approach, especially in today's uber-socially-networked/informed-highly-jaded world in which Christians manage to mar Christ's name so much. I have always tried to build deeper relationships with fewer people but I wonder about this issue often.

Anyway, Godly relationship-building has come to the forefront of my mind lately as what I should be focusing on. As far as the future, who knows exactly what is in store? Not us or me, that's for sure. But we do know that we should not spend our time worrying about things that are in God's hands (read: EVERYTHING). Another illustration of our purpose, John 12:23-26 "Jesus replied, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me' " If we spend our time focused on our problems, we will not die to our earthly life, and will not produce seeds. We must follow Jesus blindly in surrender.

What better way to close this point off than with a good ol' Grateful Dead song?

I told Althea I was feeling lost
Lacking in some direction
Althea told me upon scrutiny
my back might need protection

...

Can't talk to me without talking to you
We're guilty of the same old thing
Talking a lot about less and less
And forgetting the love we bring