Immediately...I am touched. 😊
Jesus Christ is my Purpose.
That's something I have been reminding myself since the start of the new month. Between the college deadlines, blog expectations, ministry obligations, and personal goals, I have been--truthfully--all over the place. When there are a lot of things going on, it's easy to get swept away in a current. So, I'll be honest when I say that (recently) it's been a major fight to be aware of God's presence in my life.
The Word of God promises that once we become born again, we carry the presence of God with us in our spirit (Romans 8:16). That can never be taken away from us (no matter how chaotic our lives get). However, there is great comfort and strength when we actively allow the Holy Spirit to move in our lives. And that, my friends, is the true battle for any Believer (see 1 Thessalonians 5:19). And that is what I will be talking about today 😊
Personal Background 🤔
I am a full-time university student with 8-week courses each semester (I work 3 semesters a year). So, naturally, everything feels like it's flying by...I am (by God's grace) officially a sophomore even though I feel like I started college yesterday. It feels like once I think I can catch my breath, there's another exam, essay, etc. And that's just a fraction of my life schedule.
Any college student knows how stressful it is to deal with heavy workloads while trying to start a career while trying to balance out those first steps of adulthood.
It is absolutely CRAZY! I find it hilarious (now) how my 16-year-old self thought it was the end of the world just because I couldn't figure out if I wanted to study dance or business. (spoiler alert: I picked neither! Of course, I went with a writing major).
Even now, I have to remind myself that it is not the end of the world just because I wasn't as productive as I needed to be.
Back to the Point: 🧐
So, why am I sharing all of this? Because I want you to know that I get it.
I get the pressure.
I get the demands.
I get the "requirements" expected of you for just being a human
I understand those overwhelming thoughts and emotions.
I relate to those too often mental breakdowns.
I feel those lonely feelings
I hear those doubtful thoughts.
You are not alone.
The Bigger Picture: 😮
Although all of my college highs and lows, I've realized I lost sight of what matters most: My Purpose.
In the middle of my chaotic mood swings, I would hear myself say:
My purpose is to be a writer for Christ.
My purpose is to have a Godly family in the future.
My purpose is to reach the world with the Gospel.
Even though these things are great, none of them are true. My career, future family, or ministerial practices are not my purpose. They do not identify my destiny.
Notice, friends, that these are all works.
Let me remind all of us that we were created by God to have a relationship with Him.
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29).
How can we believe in someone, if we don't know Him? We can't. In the middle of all of this, I have cried out to God, asking that He bring me back to that place of deep awareness of Him. And His response was simple:
"Don't be afraid to study Me. Seek me out. From the deepest depths of my waters" (Psalm 42:7-8).
Jesus Christ is my Purpose. But I needed to remember why. How? By diving into Him, through His Word. Is it really that simple? Yes, if you are open to receiving.
I've heard Bible teacher Joyce Meyer say that when we ask the Holy Spirit, He will reveal to us the Heart of God through the Bible.
So, I prayed (out loud) and went back to the basics of the Gospel. I opened the Book of Mark.
"The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God"(Mark 1:1).
Immediately, I caught that the first chapter alone uses the word "immediately" 8 times exactly. Why is that? I wondered. Simple. Because Jesus was quick to respond with the Holy Spirit.
I say, "respond" because he was human and still had to make a choice--just like any one of us. Now, notice what "immediately" happened in each situation (I encourage you to read all of Mark chapter 1)
Jesus Christ: ❤️
Led.
Shared.
Healed.
Delivered.
"But He said to them, 'Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also because for this purpose I have come forth'" (Mark 1:38).
Jesus was always in a secret place with His Father. Because His purpose was to be with Him. His purpose was to share a relationship with Us.
Yes, Jesus shared the Gospel. But what is the Gospel?
"'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen" (Matthew 28:19-20).
"Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:34-40).
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19).
Sum it Up: 📝
When we take these scriptures we realize that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is:
Repentance.
Refreshment.
Communion with the King.
Transformation.
When I read the chapter about the woman with the issue of blood, and how she "reached" to touch Jesus's garments for her healing...I marveled. She was diving in for Christ, despite her situation. There was a crowd that surrounded her, but that did not affect her goal. She wanted to touch Jesus. (Read Mark Chapter 5: 25-34).
This is my Purpose: To know, trust, and believe in The One who touches the sick: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
It's His Character.
So, I am reaching for Him and He is touching me. Immediately, I see. Immediately, I understand. Immediately, I believe. It doesn't matter how much my schedule is yelling at me. My purpose is not to work. My purpose is to work ON my relationship.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).
Those college assignments? Completed.
Those obligations? Taken care of.
Those goals? Being checked off the list.
How? Because my purpose is to know Jesus Christ.
And I am completely in Love with The One who takes care of me, anyway! So, just so you know, I am submerging in His waters and I hope you join me too. 😊
I hope you enjoyed reading! I also wrote a poem that goes along with my Bible study.
If you would like to read it go to my Substack page! I would LOVE to hear what you think of it!
Don't forget that JESUS LOVES YOU! And He really wants to grow in your relationship with Him! ❤️
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