by Barbara Latta
Do you ever get
confused about your purpose in life? What assignment do you feel God wants you
to accomplish?
Well, our first
desire should be to glorify God in all we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). As we give
Him the glory, we can learn a lot from Nehemiah about fulfilling the objective God
has called us to achieve.
For example, I
feel called to write. I didn’t pursue this plan in my younger years, but I
never had a settled feeling until I started to seek this goal. Each of us has
reason to be here. Until we discover that calling, we will not be fulfilled.
These 7 lessons can help you define your purpose in life.
1. Examine your desires. Nehemiah was sad until he started his quest.
His beloved Jerusalem lay in ruins. His broken heart reflected in his
countenance. (Nehemiah 2:1-5). What causes you to want to fix a problem? As
long as our desires line up with the Word of God and are not selfish or greedy,
we can ask God to help us achieve them.
2. Avoid excuses. Nehemiah served where he was (2:1). He
was captive in a foreign land, yet he still served with excellence (as did
Daniel and his friends). He didn’t make excuses about his limitations. No
mission is insignificant. Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king. He could have viewed
his position as inferior, yet he was in the right place to seek the king’s
audience.
Let your light so
shine before me that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in
heaven (Matthew 5:16)
3. Ignore comparison. Viewing another person’s success will
take our eyes off what we need to be doing. Nehemiah didn’t use his servitude
to wish he was in a different position. When Peter questioned Jesus about
John’s destiny, Jesus told Peter, “What is that to you, you follow Me (John
21:22). Each person’s calling is unique and doesn’t belong to someone else, nor
do theirs belong to us.
In 1
Corinthians 12 Paul talks about the body having many parts. Each part has a reason
to be there and without each one fulfilling their purpose, the whole body will
suffer.
4. Remain faithful to the end. Because Nehemiah was faithful to finish
the task God called him to do, Nehemiah had favor with a pagan king (2:7-9).
Being confident of
this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it
until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
5. Pursue despite opinions of others. What you are called to do may not set
well with other people. There may be persecution of some kind. Mockery didn’t
sway Nehemiah from his purpose (Nehemiah 2:19-20).
In the world you
will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33)
6. Eliminate confusion and distraction. The enemy used confusion to try to
distract Nehemiah (4:8). Other people can also be used by our enemy, satan, to
distract us from staying focused on what God has put on our hearts. When
confusion sets in, instead of quitting, spend quiet time with God and get your
mind back on track. Realize this is a ploy to get you out of the race.
Therefore, submit to
God; Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
7. Celebrate victories and thank God for what was accomplished
through His power. Nehemiah celebrated when the wall was rebuilt and thanked
God (8:12).
While our assignment
doesn’t end until we meet God face to face, we can praise Him for each
milestone we reach and glorify His name while reaching the next one. When we
celebrate victories, our faith will grow.
Join the
conversation and share your thoughts. What biblical character is an inspiration
to you?
Image by Ralf
Ruppert from Pixabay
