Vision - What Has God Created You To Do?

This is the third post in a series on personal vision.  

To read the previous posts in this series, 

check out "Vision" in the topics over to the left.

Long ago, I learned that we are created to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-38)  Later, I learned from the catechism, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." (Westminster Confession)  I also learned along the way that our work as believers is to believe. (John 6:29) These ideas are what my purpose is based on.  I want all that I do in life to have the end goal of expressing love for God and growing in faith and trust.  This is accomplished in numerous and various ways in different lives and seasons, but I believe these are our primary goals in life. 

Out of love and trust flows obedience.  "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) Love motivates us to worship, to disciple, to create, to repent, to be brave and to love.  Pursuing any of the commands of God outside of love is shallow.  It doesn't mean there aren't seasons when we obey without feeling love, because that will most certainly happen.  However, love is to be the primary motivator in our life. 

We will have a very hard time living from and to love if we don't trust the One who loves us.  We can't trust Him unless we know Him. I think this is why Jesus said that our work was to believe. If we don't believe, we don't trust.  If we don't trust, we cannot either receive or give love.  If we can't do that, we can't follow the most important commandment. 

Furthermore, if we can't love authentically, we probably will not enjoy God either.  John Piper re-writes the chief end of man by saying - "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."  (Desiring God) I believe that as we love God with our whole hearts, His character will overflow from us.  We will want to obey His commands, we will want to tell others of His faithfulness.  This will not be "duty" but rather overflow of life.  We will want to share this great thing with others.  Sometimes I feel guilty that my core value doesn't specifically include "Go and make disciples" especially since I attend a "Great Commission Church", but I feel that an inordinate focus on making disciples rather than being one is out of order, so I don't include it in my core purpose.  If I am abiding in Christ, then an overflow of love is inevitable.

I can evaluate the depth of my love by this overflow in my life.  If there is little overflow, then perhaps there is little love.  Or perhaps I have been robbed and time for retreat is at hand until the supplies are replenished.  Or perhaps I have spent all my love on others without renewing at the well of my Father's heart and I need to spend some time there.  If there is no overflow, something is out of order and needs to be remedied.  There are remedial seasons, but they shouldn't last forever.  While I highly value this and want others to learn to be at peace with this type of season, I confess that I can be guilty of staying in it too long and not letting the overflow out and this isn't healthy either.  If we truly believe who God says He is, His love should be a natural overflow into our relationships with others. 

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth
 derives its name, that He would grant you, 
according to the riches of His glory,

to be strengthened with power through His Spirit
 in the inner man,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be able  to comprehend with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,

that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly

beyond all that we ask or think,

according to the power that works within us,

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

~ Ephesians 3:14-21