The Benefits of Citizenship: Purpose

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

 Man’s  age-old question is, “Why was I born and why am I here?” Basically your answer will be your worldview.  A worldview refers to your framework of ideas and beliefs through which you interact. You have one whether you have consciously thought about it or not.

If you are a citizen of God’s kingdom, your worldview is defined by your basic beliefs in Christianity. Christians believe that there is one true God. We believe that He created everything. We believe that He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross and that Christ rose from the dead. We believe that we will have eternal life when we accept Christ as our Lord.

We believe our Maker is a personal God with whom we can communicate through prayer. We believe that God also communicates with us through His Word, the Bible.

This worldview colors our purposes here on Earth. Christians have two main purposes in life. First we are born to glorify and praise God. In Psalm 34:3 David pleads, Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. Again David sings, I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever Psalm 86:12.

Matthew 5:16 tells us one way we can glorify God. Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Our lives are a living testimony for God. As followers of His Son we are to emulate Jesus. Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy  in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy” 1 Peter 1:16.

It is true that we will not be perfect like Jesus until He comes again. However, to be perfect should be our goal. We need to strive to be like Him.

Besides giving God glory and praise, our second purpose is to do God’s work. Our verse for today tells us that God prepared these works for us before we were born. I have written in the front of my Bible, The greatest purpose in life is to seek God’s will and the greatest accomplishment is to do it. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him Colossians 3:17.

There is no need to ponder our purposes in life. We are called to glorify and praise God. Then we are called to serve Him.

Father, Thank You for giving us purpose in life. This benefit of our citizenship releases us from wondering why we were born.

Janice Yandell