Living with Purpose

Philippians 3:13-14: “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward for what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Purposeless living is frustrating, wasted living. The reason so many people today wander aimlessly and get into serious trouble is that they have no define purpose in life.

What is your life purpose? Our devotion today gives some good suggestions as to what it should be.

Paul states that his purpose was “that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (vv.8-9). Paul now has a new view of life. The only thing that really mattered was “the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus His Lord”. And what greater value is there in the world? Money, fame, honour? No! In Christ we have all we need. Outside of Him life is worthless, here and here-after.

He goes on to say, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me”(v.12) Christ had taken hold of Paul on the road to Damascus that Paul might be His apostle to the Gentiles, carrying the Gospel to them, and that he might be a perfect model of God’s grace. That was Paul’s purpose in life. Christ is also inviting us on this same journey of following Him.

For what did Christ take hold of us? To save us from our sins, and to help us to live holy, worthwhile lives. We need to cooperate with Jesus in seeing this purpose realized day by day as we obey Him.

We must pursue Christlike living until we reach the goal and “win the prize”-a perfect life with Christ forever in heaven.