Breaking the Silence: The Gift of Purpose
Breaking the Silence: The Gift of Purpose
Key Bible Verses
Genesis 12:1–8
Digging Deeper
God gives us the gift of purpose. The Bible teaches that our purpose is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. By doing this, we live out the purpose that God intended for us, and we align with Him and His will for our lives. We see how those in the Bible lived out their purpose by relying on their love and trust in God. He guided them as they faced significant life decisions, and we can learn from their stories how important it is for us to love, trust, and rely on God as we live purposeful lives.
As believers, we have the Holy Spirit who lives in us to teach and advocate for us. He is there to cheer us on, guide us, and inspire us in our walk with God as we seek to live out His purpose for us. We have divine inspiration as we strive to do what God intends for us to do and to be what God intends for us to be.
Being a believer with a God-given purpose also allows us to hear from God in mighty and sometimes mysterious ways. Sometimes, we will have an impression, inkling, or nudge of something God calls us to do. We could say a kind word to someone, open a door for someone with their arms full, or give to someone in need. As we open our eyes and see these divinely appointed opportunities, our love and the purpose God has for us come out.
Finally, God allows us to use our time, talents, and treasures to fulfill His purpose here on earth. We glorify and honor Him by letting our light shine on others living in darkness. We fulfill the greatest purpose of our lives: sharing the wonderful news that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior!
What Not To Miss
The Main Point:
When God speaks, breaking the silence, He gives us purpose and sends us on mission.
God reminds us of our purpose and the mission He has for us.
God breaks the silence and tells us our purpose and the mission He wants to send us on.
1. Why do we need purpose?
Purpose is the essence of life.
Everything God brought into existence had purpose, meaning, a role, and responsibility.
Humans long for purpose, meaning, and mission; without purpose, we just exist. We don’t live.
A clear purpose in life can bring happiness, fulfillment, and motivation.
We need purpose so that we can experience life and truly live.
2. Where do we find purpose?
In Genesis 11, the people make, innovate, and build a city, along with a tower/temple, for themselves so that they might make a name for themselves, finding purpose in work, innovation, city building, and religious engagement.
They want to do all of this apart from God. In fact, it is clear from the text that they are in rebellion against God. They are building a spiritual tower/ziggurat/temple in an act of at least attempting to appease a deity or deities.
In life, there are at the very least two different kinds of purposes:
Primary purpose
Primary purpose is the reason for our existence.
Primary purpose then supports all other aspects, elements, and purposes in life.
Secondary Purposes
Secondary purposes play a supporting role.
Built on top of the primary purpose, they feed the primary purpose.
It will typically work because whatever is thought to accomplish the main purpose ultimately will become more pronounced in that person’s life.
God comes down and judges the city of Babel because they have completely missed the mark as to the primary purpose of life. God knew the danger and disaster that would eventually come if they continued on with this project.
God goes to Babel and confuses their language to stop the progress and their plan and as a result, the people scatter all over the world.
Now the world’s population is living in this noisy, busy world waiting on a wholesome sound, a gracious sound, a purposeful sound, to break the silence and give them purpose.
Even if things are fine, and you are content with your main purpose being you, building a good name, building a successful business, building fame, building a future, and building a lasting legacy, there may be more to life than these things.
If you can lose your main purpose, then it isn’t meant to be a main purpose!
3. What does it look like for God to break the silence of purpose?
Abram was a pagan, a polytheistic worshipper. He lived in the region of the Tower of Babel.
It had been approximately 400 years before Abram when God had spoken to the last person, who was Noah.
God, out of the blue, with no warning or signs, speaks to Abram and tells him to leave everything behind and have faith that God will bless him.
God is dethroning whatever Abram’s primary purpose is for living, and God wants to be enthroned as the singular, primary, and ultimate purpose for Abram’s existence.
God wants to tap and work through Abram for His purposes in the world involving God’s land, people, and global blessing.
4. How do you know God has broken the silence of purpose in your life?
First, you obeyed God.
You have gone where God has told you to go. [which means]
You left where God told you to leave. [which means]
You have cleaved to God as the sole purpose in your life.
The way to know that God has broken the silence of purpose in your life:
God has become the foundation and center of your life.
Therefore, you live and breathe to obey Him.
For God to break the silence of purpose in our life, He becomes the very essence of what life is all about.
God directs the primary purpose, which then informs how you use, steward, and work the secondary purposes of your life.
God will work through you to use, manage, steward, and work the secondary purposes of your life for His glory.
Jesus Himself, on the cross, offers up His body as the “once and for all” sacrifice for the sin of the world so that God would be glorified.
Life becomes the altar on which we offer our bodies up to God for His glory and purposes in the world.
The second way we know that God has broken the silence of purpose in our life is that we build an altar.
Building altars signify:
Worship—recognition of who God is.
Offering/A Sacrifice.
Gratitude/Thanksgiving.
Trust.
Communion.
Witness—as it becomes a sign of the importance of God in Abram’s life.
Today our life becomes an altar by which we give our life as a living sacrifice to Jesus.
The third way we know that God has broken the silence of purpose in our life is that we live to bless others.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost, give his life as a ransom for man, not to condemn the world but save it, shine light into darkness, raise the dead to life, and send His disciples to make disciples of all nations and be His witness in Jerusalem, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world.
Our secondary purpose in life, which flows from our primary purpose of glorifying God, is to bless the world.
We are to act as the conduit by which God pours out His presence, power, provision, and protection on others, to act as a conduit by which God brings glimpses of Shalom to others, and to act as the hands and feet of Jesus to others.
When God speaks, breaking the silence of purpose, He gives us purpose, sending us on mission.
Life Application
As the year is coming to a close, think of ways you would like to live out your purpose in the next year. Reflect on the values, passions, gifts, and talents God has given you, and list key steps to living out these purposes. You might ask: What activities bring me closer to God and create deep joy and energy? What godly principles guide my life decisions? What gifts has God given me to use? What past experiences have shaped my perspective and desire to contribute to God’s work?
Small Group Discussion Questions
If you could dedicate your life to one cause or purpose that would make a significant difference in the world, what would it be and why?
What do the Bible and biblical characters teach us about God giving us the gift of purpose?
Why is it important to listen to God as we set about living out the purpose of our lives?
What are the positive consequences of purposefully living for God?
What practical ways can we determine our purpose as we serve God and others?
Daily Devotional Bible Passages
Day 1: Reflection- Proverbs 20:5; Matthew 6:21; Joshua 1:9
Day 2: Connection-Ephesians 2:10; John 15:5; James 4:8
Day 3: Meaning-Ecclesiastes 3:1; Proverbs 19:21; Romans 8:28
Day 4: Prayer-Psalm 4:1; Psalm 66:19; Jonah 2:7
Day 5: Purpose-1 Peter 2:9; Jeremiah 29:11; Job 42:2
Prayer
Dear Lord, I desire to live out a clear purpose and meaning for my life that glorifies and honors You. I know You have a plan for me, and I trust Your perfect timing. Please reveal and clarify this path that You have set for me as I fulfill my purpose in this world. Give me the strength and courage to follow Your will and overcome the obstacles I encounter. I surrender my life to you and ask that You help me use my talents, skills, and passions to make a positive impact in the lives of others and to bring honor to your name. Throughout everything, I pray for wisdom and discernment to make the right decisions and to stay focused on Your purpose for me. Help me always to seek Your will above my own and to trust in Your plans for my life. I thank you, Lord, for giving me a purpose and for being with me every step of the way.
