Your Life Matters
Written by Hosanna Cartwright | 6th July 2024
Proverbs 20:5 “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out”
If you know me, you know that this is one of my most favourite verses in the bible. I use it in almost every preach I do, why? Firstly, it speaks about a God who hides purposes dreams and vision in the deep waters of the hearts of His people. And then it speaks about God who gives us the ability to draw those purposes to the surface for one another. We see a beautiful relationship with ourselves, God, and others in this verse. Your purpose in life should always come back to these three relationships.
I want to tell you right now that you have a purpose. It may be buried deep in your heart, to the point where you don’t think it’s there. You may feel like you lack vision and clarity when it comes to what you were created to do. Maybe making you feel numb to the joy of life. But it is clear from this verse that you have a purpose.
You were born with a calling over you that God placed there before you entered this world.
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart”
You are His great decision. Being a child of God means many things, it means you are deeply loved and cared for, by love Himself, it means that you are created for a purpose and with a purpose, and it means that your life matters.
When you are a child of God what you do matters, because who you are matters.
Who we are as children of God, and what we do is we imitate the one who went before us, the son of God himself. Jesus is our great example of how we are to live our lives as children of God.
When we imitate Christ, we are living in our true identity, even the way we think should be the same as Jesus. In 1 Corinthians it says, “who knows the thoughts of God, but we have the minds of Christ.”
This brings us back onto Proverbs 20:5. We have the mind of Christ, we have insight, we can hear the voice of God and know His thoughts. And He knows our hearts because He created us.
If you feel like you are lacking purpose in life, get around your friends and trusted ones who know the Lord. Ask them, “What do you think my purpose is, and what do you see me doing in life?”. Those who know the thoughts of the Lord can draw it out. This could sound like them saying, “Hey, you know what I see in you…look how much is inside of you” or “Hey, from knowing you and your heart, what I think you would be awesome at is…”. They may not even think they are hearing God, but they have the mind of Christ. Most of us go with the approach of “It might be God, but it’s probably me” when hearing the voice of God but instead we should say, “It might be me, but it’s probably God”.
I once was on my way to school and running a little late and had to take two trains to get there. I got off my first train at Kings Cross station and then had to walk all the way down to the underground to get my second train. As I got off the first train I started walking quickly to my next train. As I passed the first barriers I turned to my right and saw a man handing out leaflets for a charity. And as soon as I saw him, I felt God whisper to me “Go speak to him, I have something to tell him”. I said back to God, “Sorry, I can’t, I’m running late”, and carried on walking. Halfway down the station I heard God say, “Turn around, I have something to tell him”. Again, I said, "Sorry Lord, I am late, and I need to catch my train”. Then I got to the end of the station before the stairs to go down to the underground. And I heard the Lord again, “Go back, didn’t I tell you that I have something to say to him?”. At that point I couldn’t ignore Him anymore. So, I ran all the way back which, to be honest, made me even more late. I should have obeyed the first time and I would had been fine - lessoned learned. I realised as I got back to the man that God still hadn’t told me what He wanted to say. I started off by saying “Hey, I need to catch my train so I’m in a bit of a rush, but can I offer you an encouraging word?”. As soon as I said that the word dropped into my thoughts. I don’t usually, if ever, offer words as blunt as what you are about to read, but I felt at the time that it was what the Holy spirit was saying. I heard Him say, “You used to be a worship leader, but you have fallen away from the church and God because of hurt. God is calling you back to worship.” The man was stunned, and he repeated my words back to me, and said, “Yes, I used to be a worship a leader and got hurt and fell away”. I was really late so I had to leave the conversation very quickly after encouraging him that God sees him and calls him.
He created him for a purpose at birth and called him to it. Then things got in the way and pain came in and buried it deep in the waters of his heart. It only takes one person to come alongside them and pull it out.
We see it over and over again in the bible. Mordecai says to Esther, “Perhaps you were born for such a time as this” - Esther 4:14. Or in Samuel anointing Saul as king, “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.” - 1 Samuel 9:19.
In each of these examples, both people felt inadequate, and both came from a low place, lacking in purpose. God was calling them through others and there are many more examples.
LET’S DO THIS
Having read this, Hosanna encourages us to reflect on some truths and then helps us to consider some ways we can actively support each another to see and to step into God-given purpose.
Truths
Your first calling is being a child of God, and through that you have a purpose that God has placed in you before you were born.
Your life matters and your purpose is deep within your heart. God hides things for us, not from us.
Actions
Who are the people you could get around to help draw that out of you?
Who around you can you see that is struggling in this area? You can come alongside them and pull out their purpose because you have the mind of Christ.
I’d also encourage you to have a listen to the song ‘Canvas and Clay’ by Pat Barrett and spend some time listening to what God wants to over you and say to you - His plans for you are good!