“I believe God made me for a purpose”
“I believe God made me for a purpose. For China. But he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.” In a superb scene from the 1981 Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire, Scottish Olympian Eric Liddell tells his sister Jenny that he will follow God’s will to be a missionary to China, but only after he runs in the 1924 Olympics. He seems so sure of himself and of God’s will. God made you and me for a purpose, too. Can we really know what that purpose is? Will we like His plan? How can we discern His will when it comes to making important decisions?
What is God’s Will?
For this is the will of God: your sanctification. -1 Thes 4:3
Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. -Mt 5:48
We can know a great deal about God’s will. In the Bible, God has revealed Himself and “provided the definitive, superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and purpose of his life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 68). First and foremost, God wants us to be sanctified, a saint “set apart” for holiness. “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.”All are called to holiness” (CCC 2013).
God created human beings with free will, as rational creatures who can “initiate and control [our] own actions” (CCC 1730). God willed that man should be left in the hand of his own counsel, so that he might of his own accord seek his creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him” (CCC 1743). From this we conclude that “God made me for a purpose. For holiness. But he also made me willful, and only when I remain in His will will I feel His pleasure.” Thus we must:
1) Read and meditate on the Bible so that we can know God’s revealed will. If you don’t know where to start, begin with the Gospel of John, a few verses at a time, slowly savoring His revealed truth.
2) Live out God’s revealed truths. When God says, “Don’t do that” what He is really saying is “don’t hurt yourself.” If you are engaging in sexual or other sin, stop. Go to confession. Ask for help from a godly friend and in prayer.
3) Pray. Our souls need prayer just as our bodies we need food. If you are not already doing so, schedule specified times to encounter and build a relationship with God and thus be able to discern his voice. Turn off the distractions. Find a quiet place. Start with ten minutes a day, taking time both to talk to God and to listen in silence.
God’s Will and Suffering
“God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” This is the first of the Four Spiritual Laws, a tract developed by Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ in the 1960s which has become a classic way to present God’s salvation plan quickly and effectively. One small quibble with the first spiritual law is that God’s “wonderful” plan for you may contain some form of hardship or suffering. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt 16:24). The Apostle Peter counsels “If you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil” (1 Pt 3:14,17). Even Jesus in His humanity prayed “Father if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still not my will but yours be done“ (Lk 22:42).
Discernment
So we can see that God has a universal plan for every human being: Sanctification, which may include hardship. But wait, what about God’s specific plan for MY life? If you are living a life of increasing holiness, your interests, talents, passions, and spiritual gifts should become readily apparent, and like that of Eric Liddell, your path should become increasingly clear. But wait again! How does this help me choose where to go to school, or who to marry, or which job offer to accept? When it comes to making decisions, again assuming you are living a life of increasing holiness, here are 4 Helpful Rules for Discernment offered by Fr. Mike Schmitz using the metaphor of a door:
1) Is this a good door? If God has revealed it to be wrong, don’t do it!
2) Is the door open? If you are 5′ 4″ the NBA is probably not God’s will for you. If you are not accepted to the university, it is probably not God’s will.
3) Is it a wise door? You know yourself best. Perhaps the time or the situation is not right for this decision.
4) Is this a door that I want? If you are asked to be a missionary to China, and you do not have a desire to minister in China, it is probably not a door you should choose. Does it have the potential to allow you to use your gifts and your passions to “feel God’s pleasure”?
Thy Will Be Done
As dramatized in Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell won a Gold Medal at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris in the 400 Meters after refusing to run in the 100 Meters, his specialty, because the heats were held on the Sabbath. What is not dramatized is his extraordinary service living out God’s purpose as a missionary in China from 1925-1943, where he ultimately died in a Japanese Internment Camp. On his Eric’s Wikipedia page A fellow internee is quoted saying,
“Often in an evening I would see him bent over a chessboard or a model boat, or directing some sort of square dance – absorbed, weary and interested, pouring all of himself into this effort to capture the imagination of these penned-up youths. He was overflowing with good humour and love for life, and with enthusiasm and charm. It is rare indeed that a person has the good fortune to meet a saint, but he came as close to it as anyone I have ever known.”
God’s will is that you and I become saints. May we strive each day to live out that purpose in our own uniquely gifted ways.
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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