“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV)

“I’m in the middle of the road with a flat tire. Can you tell Dad to come and help me?”

My daughter was under the gun. She had given her landlord notice that she was moving out by the month’s end. Though she took a few days off from work, she hadn’t finished as much as she had anticipated. On her last day off, as she rushed back and forth to the storage shed, a previously patched tire decided to leave her stranded in the middle of the highway — with three children in tow.

My wife and I hurried to her aid — not knowing whether we could help or not. We both suffer with back injuries, and changing a tire isn’t what it used to be. I managed to loosen the lug nuts with the lug wrench, which was in plain view. The tire jack, on the other hand, was tucked away in a side panel behind the back seat, with no apparent way to loosen it from its position.

Frustrated, my daughter called a cousin who is a mechanic. Without effort, he removed the jack and changed the tire. When I commented on how easy that he made the job look, he said, “Everyone has a purpose.” His was to help people who had mechanical issues with their vehicles.

Paul reminds me that God not only has a purpose but He also works to fulfill His purpose in my life.

Discovering God’s purpose is essential for living the abundant life that Jesus promises. God’s ultimate purpose is for everyone to know His Son as their Saviour. He works to fulfill that purpose by sending His Spirit to convict people of their sins. He calls some into full-time mission work to take His message of love to those who haven’t heard. He calls others into full-time work to equip believers to do the same in their everyday worlds.

God wants us to know and experience His love, to draw closer to Him, and then to make His love known to the world. We were created to have a relationship with our Creator. We don’t have to be a career preacher or missionary to share God’s plan with others. Living out God’s love in my actions, attitudes, and words accomplishes His purpose. My cousin can do it as a mechanic. So can the attendant at the office store, the teller at the bank, and the CEO of a major organization. And so can you — wherever God places you.

Don’t wander through life wondering what your purpose is. Live a purpose-driven life now.

Prayer: Father, help us to live with purpose by making Your love known through our daily experiences. Amen.

Martin Wiles
Greenwood, South Carolina, USA