Your Position is Not Your Purpose
**You can listen to this post on my podcast here.
Positions come and go.
Most of us have held more than one position in our lives.
What is your position?
Husband, father?
Mother, wife?
Firefighter, surgeon?
Preacher, missionary?
Speaker, writer?
Sports instructor, professional athlete?
Singer, artist?
Teacher, business owner?
All of these positions certainly are gifts from God.
He bestows us with talents, passions and abilities that are fulfilling.
We are able to serve Him through these careers and positions He has given us.
Often, these positions become our identity.
A preacher who has preached for 50 years.
An elderly wife that has cared for her husband and children since she was 20.
A swimmer that has trained their entire life to reach the Olympics.
A police officer that has sacrificed their own safety for the community he/she serves.
These are all beautiful things unless…..
We have our worth, value and purpose wrapped up in our position.
It is extremely important that we do not tie our purpose to our position.
Understanding this truth is vital for a lifetime of following God.
Why?
Because if we tie our purpose to our position, but then lose our position,
we become vulnerable to falling into despair, depression, hopelessness, and even
having a bitter spirit against God.
This misplaced purpose will become a hindrance to our God-given purpose.
We will be devastated if we lose our position thinking that was our purpose.
We will begin to feel worthless and of no value.
We error from scripture if we believe we have lost our ability to serve if we lose our valued position.
Our position is just a tool, even a gift, that God uses in our lives to accomplish HIS purpose.
He is in no way limited by the loss of this tool.
If we became deaf, blind and a quadriplegic, we would still be able to accomplish our purpose.
Our position would be different, but our purpose will not have changed.
To clarify, what is our purpose?
Why are we here on this earth?
God says He created us to bring Him pleasure and to bring Him glory.
Even every one that is called by my name:
For I have created him for my glory,
I have formed him;
Yea, I have made him.
Isaiah 43:7
Thou art worthy, O Lord,
to receive glory and honour and power:
for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11
Based on this biblical principal, our purpose can be fulfilled regardless of our position.
Our purpose is not dependent on a person, a place, a time, a circumstance or a position.
Our position may change but our purpose will not.
I recognize that the loss of a position that was important to us can be painful.
I believe that in compassion God allows us to grieve and goes with us through that valley.
But God doesn’t want us misplacing our trust into a lost or changed position
He wants our focus to be more on the question of, “How can I glorify you now, Lord?”
Everything we do, everything we have, everything He gives is for the purpose of bringing Him glory.
If He chooses to change the way we do that, let’s let Him have His way.
For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:34
Let’s be sure to not cling to a position God has given us.
In the grand scheme of eternity, it is temporary treasure.
But glorifying God in every position He brings us, that is true treasure.
Let’s learn to find our security in our purpose, glorifying God, not in positions that could change.
Be a vessel God can count on no matter what position He gives or takes away.
He is worthy.
