Connect with Your Creator
Some people claim to have “invented themselves” or become “self-made men.” That may be an indication of the determination that drives them to succeed, but to a large extent, your identity and your purpose will be discovered, rather than invented.
If you are discovering something, it already exists. You are not creating it. You are simply finding it—uncovering it. If that is true, who put it there? Who created you and your great purpose in life?
Ultimately, to discover the person you were born to be and the purpose you were born to fulfill, you must connect with your Creator. He holds the answers to the greatest questions in your life. He knows the person you were born to become. He knows the reason you are alive. He is the only one who knows you inside out, better than you know yourself, because He made you.
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”—John 1:3-4 (KJV)
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
One day, as Jesus was walking by the lake, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, who were fishermen, casting a net into the lake to catch fish.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will make you a different kind of fishermen. You will bring in people, not fish.’ Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed him.”—Matthew 4:19-20 (ERV)
Not long afterward, Jesus gave this same compelling invitation to James and John:
“Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were preparing their nets to catch fish. Jesus told the brothers to come with him. So they immediately left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus.”—Matthew 4:21-22 (ERV)
This moment was the turning point in the lives of these men. Before this moment, their lives were ordinary; nothing special; with nothing special to look forward to. If this encounter with Jesus had never happened, they would most likely have gone on spending each day as they had spent the day before—waking up early, catching fish for a living, cleaning their fishing nets, repairing their boats, selling the fish they’d caught, going to sleep… and waking up only to do the same thing the next day … day after day after day, for the rest of their lives… and we would never know they existed.
After this momentary encounter with Jesus, these men began to discover their identities and find out that they were meant to live extraordinary lives! They discovered a cause—a purpose to live for—that was bigger than all of them. They would not spend their lives just catching fish. They would change the world! The journey ahead of them was not easy or smooth, but as a result of their journey, the world was changed; and two thousand years later, we are still talking about them!
What made the difference for these men? What was it that completely transformed the lives of these men from being just ordinary men who seemed destined to live ordinary, forgettable lives of no consequence… into men who came to fully understand who they were and who they were meant to become; men whose impact was so powerful that countless lives were changed? Because of the lives of these men, nations were impacted; and the world was changed forever in a positive way!
Everything changed for these men when they answered the call to follow Jesus. Why? Why did that make all the difference? What was it about Jesus’ influence that gave meaning to their lives and transformed these men into powerful world-changers?
The answer is in the invitation that Jesus offered them. And the exciting thing is that the same invitation is offered to you!
The Key to Finding Purpose and Identity
The call of Jesus came with a promise of a greater future! “I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). These men immediately dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus without looking back! He promised them an escape—a way out of their boring, ordinary lives—and a great future of adventure, purpose, meaning and significance that their hearts were longing for. He promised them a life that would make a difference—that would impact people’s lives so significantly that they would never be the same. Because these men answered the call of Jesus to follow Him, they not only escaped from their ordinary lives that offered nothing of lasting meaning or significance, but the impact they made on countless lives will go on for all eternity!
The Bible was not originally written in English. When we closely examine the word “follow” that Jesus used in the original language, we find that it is usually translated “come”. When Jesus said, “Follow me,” he was saying “come; come now!” It is an invitation to respond without delay! It is an invitation to walk together with Jesus through life; to get to know Him as a lifelong companion. It is about establishing relationship with Him. When we accept this invitation, everything changes. Suddenly, we are not alone in life! We have a powerful friend who can begin to transform our lives into something amazing; something meaningful; something worth living for!
One of the amazing things that happens is that, as we enter into a relationship with Jesus, and learn more about him, he responds by revealing to us more about ourselves, our identity, who we were really meant to be and what we were born to do! As we seek to know Him better, we discover more about ourselves!
When the Bible says that Jesus “called” these men, this word “call” in the original language can mean to call someone’s name, to call out to them, but it can also mean to *give a name to someone. *This means that when Jesus calls you to follow Him, He wants to tell you who you are! Part of his purpose in calling you to follow Him is so that you can discover who you really are and all that you were meant to become! He wants to help you discover your true identity!
There were times when Jesus literally gave new names to people because He understood that they were born to become more than they were at that time. The new name was a permanent sign to them that they were meant for greater things! It signaled a greater destiny than they had imagined for themselves! Peter was one of those who was given a new name by Jesus:
“Then Jesus asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’
Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus told him:
‘Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn’t discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. So I will call you Peter, which means ‘a rock.’ On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But he will not allow anything that you don’t allow.’”—Matthew 16:15-19 (CEV)
You are like Peter. You were born to become more than you realize! You were meant for greater things! Your destiny is greater than you can imagine! The key to finding your purpose and discovering your identity is in answering the call to follow Jesus. Your true life is waiting for you—the life you were meant to live! Are you ready to respond to Jesus’ call and trade your ordinary life for a life full of purpose and meaning that Jesus offers? There’s no time to waste!
“God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn’t far from any of us, and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are.”—Acts 17:27-28 (CEV)
