i've been thinking a lot lately...lots of ideas and ponderings floating around in my brain. even though i knew these thoughts were all connected, i was having trouble making sense of them. thoughts about our purpose on this journey of life. i had tried to articulate a few of these thoughts to friends, but didn't really get anywhere. then wednesday night at bible study i had a breakthrough of sorts...i finally found a question that encompasses a large quantity of these thoughts:
what constitutes living a purposeful life?
my insane, type-a personality would really appreciate it if God would come down from heaven with a to-do list for each day of my life. then i would clearly see what i need to do, or not do, and go about the business of being purposeful. unfortunately for type-a's like myself, this is not the case. at the risk of sounding cliche, i'll point out that i do know the christian life isn't a list of do's and don'ts. it's about relationships. it's dying to myself and allowing Jesus to live through me, as if my fleshy self isn't even present. that sounds all well and good and i would like to be signed up for that. but then i wake up the next day and realize...i have no idea what this really looks like. i mean in the every day going to work, getting gas, talking on the phone, etc. i know we are to eat, drink, and do all to the glory of God, but how exactly do you do that?
here's where i get on my singleness soap box. but please don't misunderstand , this really isn't a pity party. do i want to be a wife and mom someday? yes. but am i happy and content with my life at the moment? also yes. [disclaimer: that doesn't mean that i still don't have bouts of envy of my married friends, but all in all, i have a pretty great life right now.] the thing is, day to day purpose seems easier to come by as a married person. those little things that have to be done every day, like cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. are not just mere chores anymore, but a way to honor your spouse and show love to them. you have a built in opportunity to put someone else's needs and desires above your own. though i do realize this is usually easier said than done. add some kids to the mix and your purpose/serving ratio shoots off the charts. but what about us single people? i don't really have anyone else's opinion to put before my own in deciding what to eat for dinner. if my laundry basket gets a little fuller than normal, no one else is negatively affected.
which brings me to the ever evasive question...what does a purposeful life look like in the every day?
