Naomi Mohr
This Month's Feature Article
The Power of
Purpose
by Naomi Mohr
Do you know that there are two important days in your life? The first important day is the day you were born, and the second important day
is the day you find out WHY you were born!
Have you ever thought about it? Do you know the purpose of your life? Why you were born?
What is your purpose here on earth?
Robert Louis Stevenson said,
"We are all here with measured tasks
for a measured time."
What are your measured tasks, and how long do you have to fulfill those tasks? There are two things God wants you to know about your life!
First: Your life in NOT an experiment! God created you with a specific purpose and
specific tasks, and a specific amount of time on this earth to complete those tasks.
All through scripture we see that YOU were planned by God to be born at this certain time - to
the parents who bore you - with the heritage He wanted you to have - and with the talents and
abilities He gave you.
God knew exactly what you would need to fulfill the plan and vision He has for your life.
Did you know that the color of your skin is necessary
for you to complete the work He has for you to do? The second thing God wants you to know is this:
Regardless of your past failures - no matter what has happened in your life - no matter
how much pain and disappointment you have encountered - God wants to give you a
Fresh Vision for Your Life!
So the first thing you need to know is that God created you for a PURPOSE, and the second
thing you need to know is that regardless of any past failures, God is willing and able to give
you a Fresh Vision for your Life!
Henry Ford said, "Failure is an opportunity
to start over more intelligently!"
It's a good thing that God is willing and able to give us a fresh vision for our lives, because I
certainly needed one!
I was one of those starry-eyed young girls who had planned out my life like a fairy tale. I was going to meet a fine young man, get married, live in a big white house with a white picket fence, and a winding sidewalk up the front. I would have two children - a boy and a girl - wear an apron, bake chocolate chip cookies, and be the perfect wife and mother. It was all I really wanted. My All- American Dream!
I did meet a fine young man, we were married and I had two children, a boy and a girl. But after only three years of marriage, I found myself alone with two small children. My daughter Sally was 2 years old and my son Stephen was 4 months old. My husband had left me and I was facing the fact that I would be raising my children alone. I was devastated!
This is not how I planned my life.
As my life was swirling around me, I heard a still small voice remind me that I had never asked God what His plan was for me. Of course that was true! I had tried to do it on my own and made a terrible mess of things..
1. Broken Worlds are the Exception.
2. It will Never Happen to ME!
Isn't that true? We think it will NEVER happen to us! The Bible says, "The ways of a man are right in our own eyes, but the end there of is destruction. I had tried to plan my life - without much thought about God and His plans for my life, and I failed miserably. I soon found out that:
Everyone is in the University of hard knocks, learning that
life is not worth living without supernatural help. I finally put my life back in God's hands many years ago, and began searching for a new vision for my life. There was a song that was popular at that time that you may know. "I have decided
to follow Jesus, . . . no turning back, no turning back."
The words of that song took root in my heart and I decided whatever it cost, no matter how hard it was, I would take my children, go to church and see if what I heard about God's word was really true. Could it actually work for me? Could God give me a purpose for my life? Could He use me? Could He restore some value to my life?
I found out that GOD is a God of Purpose! He doesn't do anything without a purpose. He is a creator, and whenever a creator creates something, He has a purpose in his mind for his creation! There is a reason in the mind of the creator why a thing has to be created.
In other words, when God created You and Me there was a reason for our birth. You were not born just because your mother and father decided to have a baby. God was in the whole creation process - planning for you to be here. He had a purpose in mind for you to fulfill when you were born!
You see, God is a God of purpose and God is dedicated to His purpose - Not to your plans. Proverbs 19:21 says, "There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel (or purpose) of the Lord, that shall stand."
We can make all the plans we want, but it is God's purposes that will prevail. So it is very important that we make our plans according to God's purpose.
If you do not know your purpose you will have tremendous difficulty making decisions. If you don't know your purpose in life you may end up fulfilling someone else's purpose or vision for your life, instead of God's Vision for your life. Your parents, your pastor, your friend - they may all have an idea of what you should do with your life.
I had been a Christian for 5 years and had just stepped out and began to believe that God could use me. I had organized a teacher training workshop and prepared a short teaching on "How to Lead a Child to the Lord". It went pretty well and I was encouraged as we sat down to lunch.
Across the table from me was a very sophisticated woman who smiled and politely asked me; "Naomi, how long has it been since your husband died?"
I had to look at her and say, "My husband did not die - I am divorced". As I spoke those words her whole countenance changed, and I could tell that everything I had just said totally lost it's value because of my marital status.
My heart sank, and I lost hope! Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick ..." and my heart was sick. It was so cruel to give me hope and let me think that maybe God could use me, when I could see in that woman's eyes that God would never use me because of my miserable failure!
Maybe you've been there. Maybe you've done something so bad - been a complete failure - messed up your life, and you've decided that even if God could forgive you, He would never use you!
That's how I felt, so I desperately asked God to restore my hope. I found a Bible verse that did just that. in Habakuk 2:2,3 it says;
"And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie, though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
I decided to believe God's word and trust that the "Purpose" God had for my life would come to pass - eventually!
None of us want to feel as if our life is in vain. Each of us want a significant part in the divine program of God. We all want to feel that there is a purpose for us being here.
When you know your purpose in life - no one can frighten you. Purpose protects you from intimidation. Through the many years that I have walked with the Lord, I have had MANY different ministries - many opportunities to serve the body of Christ. It was only when I began to understand my Purpose that I had confidence! This is such an important truth!
Your gift will never be exercised without confidence! I began in a church of 70 people and when I left that church, 10 years later, there were 5,000 people attending. I started on a search to find my purpose in life. Along the way I worked in the nursery, developed Children's programs, served as Director of Christian Education, headed up Children's Church, designed and implemented Kid's Camp.
But that was only part of God's purpose for my life!
I was hired to manage the Christian Bookstore at the church, designed teacher training programs, and then moved into Women's Ministries. In 1984 we incorporated Mohr Ministries, and in 1989 began Women Alive! Conferences.
I only say this to let you know that any place along the way I could have stopped the process. I could have become fearful; this is too hard; maybe I'll fail; people might be against me. How about you?
How many times have YOU thought about giving up? On your marriage, your children, your education, your job, your dreams?
Others may stop you temporarily - but only
you can stop yourself permanently! Your life is NOT an accident. Your birth is a sign that there is something for you to do. That's why you were born. Before the foundations of the world you were chosen to be holy. When you decided to Live Holy, you were just getting back to God's original plan for your life!
I'm praying that God will give you a sense of destiny. A sense of destiny eliminates fear. Jesus knew His destiny. He said . . ."for this cause came I into the world".
What is your destiny. What is your purpose in life? What has God asked you to do and what was your answer?
Many people fail because they did NOT know how
close they were to Victory when they gave up! Don't give up! Remember God qualifies His products to fulfill their purpose. He does not call the equipped - but He equips the called! You can be confident if God has called you, He will equip you to fulfill that call!
If you are looking to find God's purpose for your life here are some keys!
7 KEYS to finding a vision for your life!
1. Your purpose is something you want to do? God is not going to make you do something that you hate. You will want to do your purpose!
2. Your purpose is closely linked to the desires of your heart. The things you enjoy are a key to what your purpose is.
3. Your natural talents are directly related to your purpose. The things that you are naturally good at, that are easy for you, are directly related to your purpose.
4. You have exactly what you need to fulfill your purpose. God made sure when He created you that He invested you with all the skills you need to fulfill your purpose.
5. You don't need to be rewarded to do your purpose. You love it so much you would do it for no pay -no reward - you enjoy it!
6. Your purpose has phases. When you find God's purpose for your life, there are phases to get you there. God sees the big picture and He knows there are steps you must take to reach the eventual purpose of your life. Don't get weary because it seems to take a long time.
7. You've got to know God's purpose so you don't stay in your phases. I loved working in the Nursery, Sunday School, Kids Camp, and the Bookstore, but I had to be willing to let go of those things (phases) in order to step into God's ultimate place of service for me!
I want to encourage you to desire God's purpose, His vision for your life, above popularity.
God is far more concerned with our becoming like
Jesus Christ in our character then He is with
our doing good works to further His Kingdom. Perhaps you have set aside your vision. I'm going to ask you to pick it back up. Maybe you've had a vision, but there are things that have stopped you from embracing that vision. Maybe people have hurt you, betrayed you, disappointed you. Maybe it's a lot harder then you thought it would be to live for Jesus.
Maybe you've been through a divorce, been widowed, or been terribly hurt by those who were supposed to love you. I want us to recommit ourselves to forgive them and free God to work in our lives.
Let's pray together:
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for loving me. Thank you that you have a purpose for creating me - just as I am. Right now I decide to forgive those people who have misunderstood me, mistreated me, and hurt me. I purpose to cooperate with you God. I give you permission to complete the work you've begun in my life. I desire to become all you planned for me to be. Thank you Lord, Amen!
Father, I agree with each one praying this prayer. I ask you Lord to give them a fresh vision for their life. Would you cover them with your love, and paint upon the billboard of their mind the purpose YOU have for their life. I ask you Lord to give them clarity of purpose, purity of heart and motives, and I release the JOY of the Lord into their life!
Thank you Lord, Amen!
At Mohr Ministries we have a vision! To touch women and men for Jesus Christ. Our desire is that you find and fulfill the exciting plan He has for your life. Developing your gifts and finding a place of service will be the most exciting discovery of your life.
Don't give up - God is not finished with you yet! You may want the complete message on tape or CD "The Power of Purpose" along with a study guide. Go to our "Ministry Resources" page and order or call us at (651) 686-4688.
Back to Feature Article Page