Purpose

If there's one thing Covid has taught me, its that its so easy to feel purposeless.

Being away from people, routine and familiarity tends to make you question your purpose and for a long time during the lockdown, I felt really purposeless and everything felt meaningless. It wasn't until I went back into serving at Kids church that I had realized what purpose felt like again. I was serving at UrbanKidz and I felt this immense sense of joy, so much so that I began to cry, now every time I'm serving at kids I can't help but cry. I remember messaging my friends to ask ' why am I crying at kids church?' and my friend Hanna responded with"Calling and Purpose"

Now I'm not saying that kids church is your calling (but if you do wanna sign up to serve - let me know)

Your purpose isn't a position or place, it is the presence.

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 is a very well known verse and people often use it whenever they feel they are called to something but not necessarily equipped to do it. Let's take a look at the Amplified version.

Philippians 4:13 AMP

13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

I love that this version very obviously points out our dependence on God, but not only our dependence but clearly points out HIS purpose above our own and that we are only able to do all things if it lines up with what he has called us to do.

Let's take a look at purpose and calling

Ps Charles Metcalf in The Paradox of Purpose said this (https://youtu.be/Inu-6LRHwVM)

Purpose: Gods original design and intention

Calling: Designation and function he has you serving in.

Calling is the thing God will ask you to do and many people get frustrated with their calling and don't answer the call so they never reach purpose.

He gave us calling not for the sake of what we would do, but who we would become.

He uses calling to reveal your purpose (https://youtu.be/Inu-6LRHwVM)

If you looked at me a couple of years ago serving at Kidz it was a completely opposite picture from today. For a long time I used to dread waking up early on a Sunday morning, I used to moan and think of all the other things I could be using my Sunday mornings to do or wonder how many days I lost while using to prepare for kids. I often thought that my season in kids was over, based on the idea that the majority of the people I had served with were moving on to other things so I thought I needed to as well. Wow, looking back, I had such an unhealthy relationship with serving and it wasn't because of where I was serving, or who I was serving with or even why I was serving, it genuinely was out of selfishness and l felt like it was too "difficult."

Purpose isn't difficult but it is different, it's different to the pattern of this world.

The pattern of this world goes "it's a Friday night, go out with your friends, why would you wanna spend a night with teenagers" it says "Sunday mornings are me time" it says "Another Saturday gone because of a church meeting"

The pattern of this world is selfish and often finds its purpose in flesh desires.

The pattern of this world always fights the purpose of God.

So that's why serving on a Sunday morning felt like the biggest schlep, that's why I felt like quitting - because my flesh desire outweighed my spirit ordained life.

He gave us calling not for the sake of what we would do, but who we would become.

So that's why I get emotional at kids church, not because of what I do, but because of who I have become through Jesus. The years it took of Jesus refining my thoughts and wants. It's the realization that when I look at each kid and leader I know that God is busy refining them as well. If I had looked at my calling and continued to see it in frustration and bitterness I wouldn't be able to answer the call and therefore wouldn't be able to reach purpose. I wanna encourage you that wherever you are called to, even if it feels uncomfortable or difficult, to remember that there's purpose in it and if you don't go through the refining process you won't be able to become who God has called you to be.

His will over my own, his control over my own, his plans over my own.

I hope you leave feeling encouraged, inspired or challenged! Please comment down below or email me if you have any questions or thoughts you'd like to add. Also, take a look at (https://youtu.be/Inu-6LRHwVM) which inspired this blog post.