Finding My Purpose And Mission In Christ
BRD REFLECTIONS
Romans 15:14-33 and Psalm 148 (NIV)
(Patricia Yeo, Honorary Treasurer)
READ:
Romans 15:14-33 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
In this letter to the Romans, Paul said that he was “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:16, ESV)
Paul was also clear that his source of strength and his roots of faith stemmed from Jesus Christ and not his own abilities. He attributed all his accomplishments to Christ and how he was able to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders and by the power of the Spirit of God. This also enabled him to endure suffering during his ministry because he always looked to Jesus who suffered on the cross as his example.
Paul also carried financial aid from the Gentiles in Macedonia and Achaia to the saints in Jerusalem as he believed that if the Gentiles had come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought to share their material blessings to those who are needy. The Gentiles had a moral obligation to do so.
APPLY:
Paul was very sure of his calling in Christ and the task that he was given to accomplish in life. He made this his purpose and mission in life and was not side-tracked at any point.
In Paul’s example, I feel that one ought to have a purpose and mission in life through Christ so that one does not get carried away by earthly desires and distractions and to live a Christ-centred instead of self-centred life, drawing on strength and guidance from the Holy Spirit to do so.
Paul also spoke of how one is blessed to be a blessing and one should give generously from a position of privilege, being grafted into Christ’s salvation legacy. Therefore, one should contribute to the ongoing work of blessing Christians who are less fortunate and to extend a long arm to the unsaved by donations of time and money. For a start, we can honour God through our pledges and offerings initiated by the church so that as a body of Christ, we can be a blessing to the community in propagating the Gospel message and drawing light to Christ.
DO:
Sometimes, I am afraid that God will call me in the dramatic way that He called and transformed Paul (Saul) to be so convicted in serving Him. However, I know that God is my source of strength and wisdom and I do seek Him daily to show me His ways, step by step, and open my eyes to see His power by word, deed, signs and wonders so that the bigger picture of my purpose and mission in how to serve Him can be formed. For now, I am glad to be serving as Treasurer in church so that I can participate in some way to the process of channelling resources from the church to evangelism and outreach work for the needy.
PRAY:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me to study Romans and showing me the example of Paul who walked in such faithfulness to your calling and stayed true to your mission for him. Help me to be obedient to your Word, to be used as an instrument of your love, to serve you with joy and to find my purpose and mission in you so that I can be single minded and not be distracted or overcome by the ways of the world. Show me the needs and make me a blessing to others. I pray that I will learn to trust you more and that you will find me faithful in serving you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
