A Cup of Grace – with a shot of espresso

Have you ever wondered what you’re here for? Do you have a purpose that is somehow bigger than you? Or maybe you wonder if you’ve somehow missed it. 

I attended my daughter’s graduation and felt exactly this way. She had completed her masters in nursing. The stage was lined with women in my age range who had their phds and doctorates, people who had held important positions and influenced others in big ways. And I briefly wondered if I had done enough with my life. I found myself thinking that maybe I had missed out. 

But then I remembered the days in the classroom. Those were important. I had the opportunity to touch lives there. I also had (and still have) the privilege of being a mom – to pour into four precious souls and now their spouses and children. I’ve had the blessing of loving on those friends that they brought home with them as well. It is a privilege to be honored with the name “Momma D.”

I’ve been given time in life now to be able to connect with friends and love on them. This blog doesn’t reach that many people, yet perhaps God is able to use it in someone’s life as well. 

As I think about those feelings of smallness and inadequacy during graduation, I am gently reminded that God doesn’t use the same measuring stick. Every life I touch for Him is important. If I were off doing “big” things, who in my life now would I not be able to serve? It’s not about the quantity of people. It’s about what I’m doing in the here and now. Am I obediently pouring His love into all around me? 

God hasn’t given me a big platform. I need to quit comparing myself to others. I need to use the platform He’s set me on to the best of my ability. And there sits the real question. How am I doing at what I’ve been given to do in this stage of my life? Am I serving self or God and others?

We each have a purpose. And we each are given different ways to carry out that purpose. Our number one purpose is to love God. When we do that well, we bring glory to Him regardless the size of the stage. Loving Him is the core – the gravity around which the rest of our life revolves and is ordered. This is because truly loving God has ripple effects into our lives. 

One of the first effects is that we love others. This one is hard. Because God’s love is self sacrificing. But as James says, we can’t claim to love God and hate others who are made in His image. Love is action – not feeling. Loving others means taking my eyes off of myself and what I want to do or achieve. It may mean setting my opinions and even my own feelings aside. It means seeking to better understand them, not fix them. Fixing is God’s job. 

Another effect of fulfilling our primary purpose is that we recognize that our talents and skills come from Him, and we nurture them in order to be able to use them for His service. The skills of teaching, writing, nursing, running, speaking, singing, etc should be honed. Whatever He has given us, we should learn and grow in. Parents take great delight in providing opportunities for their children to grow and learn, but the greater delight is in watching them apply themselves and do so. 

When we love God first, we seek His direction and move even when it looks uncomfortable or scary. We set aside our desires, trusting that He knows better. Too often I have tried to determine the rightness of the path based on my comfort level. That is a poor measuring tool. Look at so many who came before us in scripture. Almost none of them were led in paths they were comfortable going. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Esther, Ruth, Mary, Jesus to name just a few.

So living this life well isn’t about big accolades or lots of followers. I might be able to do good things with those, but to do a truly great thing would be to nurture another in the love of God. God is perfectly capable of using the small platform as well as He can the big. 

If you have lots of achievements, diplomas, medals, followers, let me challenge you to stay focused on the One who gave you all that. Humbly follow His leading and His purpose. Love Him with all you have. Speak and love boldly with His love to the masses. Do not succumb to the temptation to please others. His applause is the only one that matters.  

But if you’re like me without a long list of glowing qualifications, you are no less valuable in God’s economy. Your purpose is the same. Love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love well those He’s put in your path (family, friends, coworkers, classmates, teammates) – especially the hard to love.  Use the skills He’s equipped you with for His glory rather than your desires. Go where He calls, regardless of how you feel about it. 

This is a new day. What will fulfilling His purpose for you look like in this moment before you?