The Pain of Purpose

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

Psalm 57:2

It’s awesome to sense God’s purpose and plan over our lives. When we know that God has called us for a greater purpose, we are more driven in our motivation and vision to accomplish what is on our hearts. Yet there is sometimes pain in the purpose.

We may have to say “no” to many good things in order to say “yes” to God’s purpose. We may lose friends along the way because they may not understand the value of God’s purpose completely. Our family dynamics may be altered because the purpose requires a different lifestyle. We may have to give up recreational pleasures to prepare our spirits for the next level in this purpose. Yet the pain of purpose is well worth anything we may have to give up in this world.

When Moses lived in the palace as the adopted son of Pharoah’s daughter, he chose to be aligned with God’s people rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egyptian life. When Joseph was daily pursued by Potiphar’s wife, he chose to remain true to God’s purpose even if it meant prison time. When Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were brought into the Babylonian banquet hall, they refused the king’s food in order to stay with the God-ordained diet for the Jews. When Queen Esther knew her people were going to be annihilated, she chose to approach the king even if it meant her death at his refusal.

All these people have given us life examples of choosing the pain of purpose over momentary pleasures of this world. Our purpose from God is solid; and through the Holy Spirit, we are assured that we are on the right path. Sometimes this path is hard, painful, and frustrating—this isn’t an excuse to quit. We can allow the pain of our godly purpose to develop us into the people God has called.