What is your purpose?

I have been contemplating this week my purpose in life. Why am I here? Am I doing what God has called me to do? Do I even know what my purpose is? Am I making a difference or am I just passing the time?

As I was reading in Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow I was very challenged with this.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says,"¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."

I was very convicted about using my time wisely. A German philospher said, "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." How do I spend my time and are the important things getting left out because I am too busy with things that don't matter? I was so convicted by this statement, I put down my Bible and my book and immediately turned on the TV and deleted a bunch of shows that I had DVR'd (decorating shows...I am an HGTV junky) because I didn't want them to take the place of things which truly matter. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel that TV is bad, but I know myself and I know that if they aren't there I won't be tempted to watch it and dream of worldly things I don't NEED like decorating (when my house is just fine right now as it is) instead of doing my quiet time or other way more important things.

Betty Scott Stam wrote her life purpose statement in the form of a prayer and I thought it was amazing...(I changed the thees and thous)

"Lord I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept your will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to you be yours forever. Fill me and seal me with your Holy Spirit. Use me as you will, send me where you will, work out your whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever."

WOW! I wish I could say that prayer and truly mean it. I do feel that way alot, but selfishly, I tend to take things back after giving them to Him, over and over again. "At any cost?" That is a powerful statement! Do I really want Him to have His will in my life AT ANY COST? At the cost of my husband, my children, my home, my possessions, my life???

Now once I start using my time wisely and doing things that are "more important" I must think about my motives for doing them. Because the condition of the heart is way more important than the actual deed. Am I doing them to glorify God or to be seen and praised by man? After all "You can mimic goodness by godliness cannot be imitated." Anyone can be "good" but not everyone can be "Godly." I don't want to be "good," but I want to be "Godly" with all my heart. After all, being "good" doesn't get us to Heaven and it certainly doesn't get us closer to the Father. Without Him, there is nothing "good" in us. Him, in us, is the only way we can be good in the first place. So without the relationship with Him, our attempts are futile and are a waste. Period.

What is your life's purpose? Can you say that you want Him to fulfill His will in your life at any cost?