Men of Purpose and Men of Faith

 I've read when the Civil War Started General Ulysses S. Grant was a washed up barely employed West Point Graduate, who was forced out of military service. Done in by western outposts with an inability to hold his liquor

 Grant would later prove to be a tactical genius, a man of courage under fire and a steadfast leader. Called “the butcher” during his leadership of the Union Armed forces. Grant became known as a brilliant military leader during the Civil War.

  

 I once heard a pastor tell the story about watching his two young boys play with the Biblical action figures they got for Christmas. The boys had the action figures fighting each other, the dad asked why Moses was fighting with Jesus. The two boys had no purpose for the action figures, so they created a purpose, a vision if you will, the action figures weren’t just to look at, they need some action to be action figures, right?

 David led King Saul’s army in Israel. Excelling at his position, the woman in Jerusalem would sing “Saul has killed his thousands and David his ten thousands.” Later in life David would spy on Bathsheba resulting in the death of her husband Uriah. David stayed home from the battle season that year. His purpose was set aside and he wandered from the vision of leadership.

 Rebel without a cause was movie released in 1955 staring James Dean. The movie was a groundbreaking attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth. Teenagers wandering because they had no vision taught to them.

 History has proven men with no vision will wander trying to fill the need of purpose instilled by God. If not directed by the Lord this wandering usually leads to a continual self-reliant search for fulfillment or self-destruction.

Proverbs 29:18 is often misunderstood and misquoted …This is how we usually hear it: “For a lack of vision the people perish.” More accurately represented is: “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.” NIV or “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” NLT

 It seems to be the choice of each person to accept what the Lord is reveling to us or to reject it.

There appears to be a paradox at hand within the Christian community. We all need purpose, but the only real way to gain that purpose, tailored to each individual, is to surrender everything to the one who created us for that purpose that fits us so well. It’s natural to want to control our own destiny, not submitting to God’s purpose for us. The problem is what we think we need or want usually draws us away from the very relationship we so desperately need. The Lord is the only one who knows where we will be best fulfilled with what offers us purpose and vision.

Paul put it this way in Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” KJV

 We will continue to fight our self-imposed Goliath until one day we get tired or realize we have only been swinging our fists at shadows gaining no ground and no victory because we are fighting the wrong fight. Self-discovered purpose is not necessarily the one designed for who we are, if it draws us away from our relationship with Jesus, it doesn't fit.

 The beauty of God is...he is patient and long suffering. His promises are always true and are never taken back. He says "I will never leave you and I will never forsake you." He also says. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. Then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV.

 Our land our homes our families our communities.

 The world is in desperate need of men of valor. Men who will take up the cause of being sons of God, finding their rightful places assigned by their Father carrying out his purposes.

The world is in desperate need of men to become…

 Men of Purpose and Men of Faith.