“WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE”

December 19, 2024

By Dee Belt

SO, YOU SEE THE TITLE OF THIS COMMENTARY.  MY GUESS, IS THAT IT PERHAPS CONJURES UP TWO QUESTIONS, OR AT LEAST IT SHOULD.  

THE FIRST QUESTION BEING, DO YOU HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERY SINGLE SOUL THAT WAS EVER BORN IN THE FLESH, WAS NEVER EVER BORN OUTSIDE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD?  IF YOU DO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, THEN MY SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, DO YOU HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHY GOD CHOSE TO SEND YOU HERE TO BE BORN? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT PERHAPS NOT OFTEN ENOUGH, CROSS THE MINDS OF MANKIND.   AT SOME POINT IN LIFE, PERHAPS WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, OR MAYBE WHEN WE’RE OLDER, WE HAVE WONDERED WHAT IS THE PURPOSE I SERVE IN BEING HERE ON EARTH?   SOME PEOPLE SPEND THEIR WHOLE LIFE WONDERING, OR SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS CONCERNING THESE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.  

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS 19 YEARS OLD, AND FEELING THE SQUEEZE OF LIFE’S DIFFICULTIES, AS A STRUGGLING SINGLE MOTHER.  SOMETIMES IN MY FRUSTRATIONS, I WOULD THINK TO MYSELF:  “THERE HAS GOT TO BE MORE TO LIFE THAN THIS!  WHY AM I EVEN HERE?”  I ADORED MY BABY, AND DID MY BEST TO BE A GOOD MOTHER, YET THERE WAS THIS PERPETUAL SHADOW OF EMPTINESS HANGING OVER ME; SOMETHING WAS MISSING, YET I COULD NEVER QUITE PUT MY FINGER ON IT.  LOOKING BACK ON IT NOW, I REALIZE THAT FEELING WAS THE HUNGER OF MY SOUL, FOR GOD’S PRESENCE.  THAT IS WHAT WAS MISSING.  OF COURSE I NO LONGER FEEL THAT WAY WHEN TWO YEARS LATER, I  REPENTED  FOR MY SINS AND BEGAN  A BRAND NEW  RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AS MY PERSONAL SAVIOR.  I HAVE LEARNED, HOWEVER, EVEN REPENTED CHRISTIANS DON’T ALWAYS KNOW FOR SURE WHAT GOD’S PURPOSE FOR THEM ARE. LET ME NOT CONFUSE YOU.  THIS IS SEPARATE FROM GOD’S GREAT COMMISSION, WHICH IS FOR THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL, AND SHARE WITH AS MANY SOULS AS POSSIBLE, THE PATHWAY TO SALVATION.  THAT IS THE PREEMINENT PURPOSE FOR EACH AND EVERY FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST.

 IN ADDITION TO THAT, HOWEVER, EACH PERSON HAS A SPECIFIC GOD-GIVEN ASSIGNMENT; A SPECIAL GIFT, TALENT, OR CALLING THAT GOD WANTS US TO FULFILL IN THIS LIFE.  

THE ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN, AND THAT IS, WHATEVER GOD’S PURPOSE IS, FOR HIS CHILDREN, OR WHATEVER CALLINGS, OR TALENTS HE HAS BLESSED US WITH, IT IS ALL PART OF A GREATER PLAN OF HIS DIVINE DESIGN, FOR THE PURPOSE OF GLORIFYING, AND HONORING OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

HERE ARE A TWO EXAMPLES OF BIBLICAL CHARACTERS WHO WERE CONNECTED TO A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.  

JOHN THE BAPTIST

(JOHN 1:6-8)

“THERE WAS A MAN SENT FROM GOD, WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. THE SAME CAME FOR A WITNESS, TO BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIGHT, THAT ALL MEN, THROUGH HIM MIGHT BELIEVE.  HE WAS NOT THE LIGHT, BUT WAS SENT TO BEAR WITNESS OF THAT LIGHT”.

MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS

(ST. MATTHEW 1;18-21)

“NOW THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST WAS ON THIS WISE: WHEN AS HIS MOTHER, MARY WAS ESPOUSED TO JOSEPH, BEFORE THEY CAME TOGETHER, SHE WAS FOUND WITH CHILD OF THE HOLY GHOST. THEN JOSEPH HER HUSBAND BEING A JUST MAN, AND NOT WILLING TO MAKE HER A PUBLIC EXAMPLE, WAS MINDED TO PUT HER AWAY PRIVILY. BUT WHILE HE THOUGHT ON THESE THINGS, BEHOLD, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM IN A DREAM, SAYING, JOSEPH,  THOU SON OF DAVID, FEAR NOT TO TAKE  UNTO THEE MARY, THY WIFE: FOR THAT WHICH IS CONCEIVED IN HER, IS OF THE HOLY GHOST. AND SHE SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME, JESUS: FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS”.

BOTH INDIVIDUALS WERE SENT HERE WITH A DIVINE PURPOSE.  SOMETIMES THE PURPOSE IS REVEALED EARLY ON, AS IN THE CASE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.   OTHER TIMES, THE PURPOSE IS REVEALED LATER, AS IN THE CASE OF MARY AND JOSEPH.  

WHEN WE ARE YOUNG, WE SEE THINGS THROUGH YOUTHFUL EYES. IT SEEMS WE’VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME, AND A WHOLE LIFETIME AHEAD OF US, TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES.  WHEN WE GET OLDER, OR EVEN “ELDERLY SENIORS”, WE SUDDENLY FIND OURSELVES IN A WORLD WHEREAS MANY PEOPLE IN OUR AGE-RANGE, ARE DEPARTING FROM THIS WORLD.  WE REALIZE THAT THE BULK OF OUR OWN LIVES ARE BEHIND US, AND WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT, AND HOW WE MUST MAKE THE MOST OF OUR REMAINING YEARS, IN A WAY THAT GLORIFIES GOD.  

MY PERCEPTION OF LIFE HAS CHANGED.  I REALIZE EVERYONE HERE HAS A GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE, AND AT THIS POINT OF LIFE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF GOD HAS CONTINUED TO WAKE US UP EACH MORNING, CLEARLY, OUR PURPOSE HAS NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED.  THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS THIS:  GOD HAS SENT US, AND WHEN OUR WORK IS DONE (ACCORDING TO GOD’S TIME), THEN WE GO HOME.  IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.  WHAT IS NOT SO SIMPLE, IS THE DISCOVERY OF WHAT EXACTLY GOD WANTS US TO DO, AND HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IN GLORIFYING AND HONORING HIM.

IN CONCLUSION:

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF QUESTIONING YOUR OWN PURPOSE FOR BEING HERE ON EARTH, THERE IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THAT.  SEEK THE LORD FOR HIS SPECIFIC PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.  ASK THE LORD. KNOCK ON THE DOOR, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED TO YOU.  GOD WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY.  REMEMBER TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM IN ALL YOUR WAYS, AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATH. TRUST HIM AND FEAR NOT.

AND AS THE SONG GOES…

“JESUS, JESUS, HOW I TRUST HIM

HOW I’VE PROVED HIM O’ER AND O’ER.

JESUS, JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS,

OH FOR GRACE TO TRUST HIM MORE”.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU,

AND MAY YOU ALL HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS,

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!