At a panel discussion this weekend, the topic was about moving from circumstance into purpose. Though, I was a guest on the panel, I spent a lot of time listening to the other speakers and it really made me to a look at my life. Many times people struggle with finding their purpose in life. When, I was younger, I remember asking God to show me my purpose. I actually even, at times, felt bad because I did not know my purpose. It wasn’t until just a few months ago that I had some clarity about purpose.

My understanding in reading the Bible is that God’s people were created to praise and to please Him. As such, we all have the same ultimate purpose. Once we know this, then our question becomes, “How do I live in that purpose?” This is where goals come into play. See, for me, I always looked at the goals as the purpose. I would get an idea of what to do with my life, pursue that idea and accomplish it. Then, I could check it off my list of things I achieved in life. But, on the other side of the feat, I would still feel empty. And, I did not understand why I felt so barren when I was fulfilling my purpose.

What I did not realize was that those accomplishments were not the purpose. They were meant to be goals within the purpose of praising and pleasing God. However, when I took them out of that purpose and pursued the goals because I wanted recognition for how phenomenal I am, they became unsatisfying. I expected there to be a finish line for my purpose. I thought that there was some thing that I would do and it would satiate me.

In fact, purpose is ongoing. There is not a finish line. So, we must choose to live everyday on purpose. We must choose to live a live that is pleasing to God and gives praise for all that He has done. It is not about yelling out hallelujahs; it is about living out your hallelujah. It is about using the gifts that God has blessed you with to be a testimony for Him all the time. If you can turn those talents into your business ministry and your focus is on Kingdom building, that is fantastic. But, you are no less living on purpose, should you choose to work for someone else and be a light, a shining example of the goodness of God.

The important thing to remember is that children of God were created for the same purpose, but there are many different ways of fulfilling that purpose. God is so awesome that He gave each of us a different, but important function in the Body of Christ. He did not make us all cookie-cutter people. Our purpose is an everyday journey, not a destination. Yes, we meet goals along the way, but the purpose does not end when we meet a goal. And, the accomplishment of a goal is not so that we can show how great we are, but so that God’s greatness can be revealed.

So, live on purpose and be grateful for and take advantage of the wealth of opportunities each day to praise and please God. I have found that living on purpose is much more rewarding than checking accomplishments off of a list. Ms. EV

I figured that since I have already written about driving for two days, I would continue with that theme today. Today, however, I am not talking about the rules of the literal road, but the rules on the proverbial road of life. What drives us? What is transporting us toward our goals? What is motivating us in our relationships with people? What is getting us to a deeper love and understanding of our Master? Are we purpose-driven or profit-driven? Is it wrong to be both?

I absolutely believe that I was meant to publish Pray While You’re Prey seven years ago. The book is my testimony, and, to this day, people tell me that it is helpful to them as they walk the single, Christian journey. While I am confident in publishing the book, I am pretty sure that the way that I handled publishing the book was not the way God would have chosen. With a manuscript that got rave reviews and just enough legal know-how to be dangerous, I very quickly took God’s plan and ran down my own path with it. I tried to get a publisher for the book. I sent out query letter after query letter and got rejection after rejection, so I felt that it was in my best interest to self-publish. I did all of the research of the costs of printing and publishing, gathered a team that was willing to invest time, talent and treasure and I was off to the races. Even with the help of others, I still needed more funding, so I got a small business credit card that had zero percent interest for the first six or twelve months or something, and then, of course had a huge interest rate if the balance was not paid in that time frame. (I should probably mention that at that point in my life, I was two years into my dad’s credit reconstruction/financial responsibility plan from all of the bad financial mistakes I had made in college and law school.) So, here I was with this fantastic testimony in manuscript form and a credit card, so that I could act immediately on my dream.

At the time, I felt that by putting the printing and marketing costs (keep in mind that there was no social media) of the books on credit, I was showing God that I was “all in” on this vision. I was ready and willing to take on any challenge. In hindsight, I realize that I just was not willing to wait on Him to provide a better plan for what I wanted to do. So, I had a book release event, got my book in stores and did book signings. I was even on the radio promoting the book. But, as the time started to wind down to the high interest rate on the credit card, my motivation shifted from conveying a message of hope and encouragement to getting that cash money honey. I did not handle the moderate success that I had with the book very well. I expected people to come out in droves to my book signings and invite me to speak all over the country. And of course, once Oprah got a hold of the book, it would be in her book club, and I would be RICH…hahahahahaha! And, I wonder why God only shares pieces of information with me and not the whole picture! There is nothing wrong with believing that God will prosper you in His purpose for your life, but when you replace His plans with your own, you cannot expect the same results that you would have gotten if you had listened to Him.

So, now I am at the halfway point of recording my first CD. People keep asking me what my next step will be and I keep asking God the same question because I never want to veer off onto my own path again. I had to stop and ask myself why I am even recording. The fact is that I have always had a desire to record music. The only other careers I envisioned besides attorney were educator and recording artist/producer. I do not feel like I came to those conclusions on my own because God has blessed me with the talents to match. I know that with music and writing of any kind that I do, the most important aspects are the lyrics and the message. Music is a universal language and I believe it to be one of my gifts for Kingdom-building. I would love for writing and music to be my careers; nevertheless, it is about God’s will and God’s timing. Right now, I am a teacher and I love teaching, but I did not intend to be a high school teacher forever, so is it wrong to want to make a career out of my gifts? Let me give you a hint, that question was rhetorical. I do not believe that it is wrong to pursue the passion that God has placed in you. But, we have to take the time to be brutally honest with ourselves and know whether we are driven by moving on God’s mission or driven by making that good money. When I felt that I was no longer going to make any money from my books, I quit because, at the time, I was profit-driven. All that mattered was the bottom line and that was wrong. Imagine if all that mattered to God was the bottom line. What if all He cared about was your salvation and after that you were on your own? Thankfully, He is a gracious and merciful God that does not just want us to be saved, but also cares about the quality of our lives.

When it comes to dreams, goals, relationships, and loving God, we should be driven by purpose first and foremost. It is okay to be profit-driven if the gain is God’s glory revealed or souls snatched from the devil’s grip. God created us to praise and please Him, so that is what we are called to do and it is not about what we can personally gain. If God’s purpose in giving talents is for it to become a career, then that is what it will be. However, even if is it not meant to be a career, we should not going to stop using the talent for His glory. Many times we look at the provision, the people, and the purpose God blesses us with and we only want them for the benefits associated with them. If you throw away a blessing because you don’t feel that you are getting enough out of the deal, then you are strictly profit-driven. And, by profits, I do not mean strictly monetary harvests. So, as you move in the vision that God has for your life, be sure to note whether you are purpose-driven or profit-driven. Ms. EV

Last week, I read a tweet from Kirk Franklin that basically said you that you are walking in God’s purpose for your life when you get to a point that you can no longer move forward with Him. That statement really had an impact on me because for a lot of my life, I have been searching for God’s purpose for me. I have often asked Him, “What is Your plan for my life?” I know all too well what the consequences are for not following His path. Sometimes, I find that I am extremely timid in taking steps forward because I want to be completely sure that I am in God’s Will.

Music is a passion that I know God has placed in my heart. And I know that using the vocal treasure that God has given me is pleasing to Him. I sing on a small praise team and I am the only soprano. I also suffer from seasonal allergies, so there have been many occasions where I had to lead a song or sing a part in a harmony, but I wake up on Sunday morning with no voice. At that point, what comes out of my mouth is truly up to God. I cannot count the number of miraculous Sunday morning healings that I have experienced. Sometimes, I can sing well at church and as soon as service is over, I am hoarse again. Of my own power, I cannot sing melodies and harmonies through an allergy-attacked throat, but God can make it happen.

At the beginning of this year, I made a goal to learn to play the guitar well enough to put music to the many songs I have written over the years. When I first started trying to learn “Amazing Grace,” it seemed as though it would be nearly impossible. A few weeks later, I could play it with ease. I started improvising. Then, I started putting melodies to my songs. Now, I have played the guitar, albeit nervously, at church on two occasions, which I know was only through God. In fact, my family even had a jam session on Sunday after church that was awesome. The next step in my musical journey is to record, but I still cannot write a musical composition for others to play and I am not sure of how much I will need to invest. Once again, I am at a point, where I cannot work it out of my own power, so I know that I am headed in the right direction.

This is not about testing God. God wants us to do the possible and leave the impossible up to Him. Our general purpose is the praise and please God, so in the specific circumstances of our God-given paths, there will be points at which we cannot move forward without Him. The Bible encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” and to “ask…seek…[and] knock.” God is not some distant puppeteer mandating our every move. Christians have free will. But, in having free will, God’s perfect will is that we follow His plan and give Him glory for the blessings He bestows upon us. So, when you hit a roadblock on your life’s path, and you know that you have been prayerfully seeking to do God’s Will, don’t be discouraged; just know it is something that only God can do. Then, wait for your chance to give Him praise! Ms. EV

I truly believe that God places dreams within each of us, so that we can fulfill His purpose for our lives. What we do with our God-given dreams is up to us. But know, you were created for a purpose. We can turn the dream into ministry and reach to seek the lost. Or, we can devote our time to making the dream profitable. Is it possible to do both? Well, the Bible says that we cannot serve two masters. Still, I have faith that if I submit to God’s Will for my life and use the dreams He has placed in me for the building of His Kingdom and to glorify His Name, I will have riches untold. Those riches may be spiritual, material or both. And, whatever He provides will be enough and more than enough.

I have had several dreams. Some have always been present in my life; some have been present for a season. Some have been used to honor God, but honestly, most times, I got swept up in how the dream to uplift me. I have realized, the hard way, that God’s purpose for my life is for others to see Him through me and to feel His love through my love. All the good deeds and good intentions in the world are worthless if I am not seeking His Kingdom. At times, the dreams placed in our hearts may seem strange or even risky, but God knows what He is doing and He knows who He can use. My dream may not fit your life and yours may not fit mine. What God has for me is for me and what He has for you is for you. Once we know the gift He has given us, we must make the choice to live it out for His glory. We must choose to walk it out daily. You may not be able to see what is coming, but if you could, you might not take the leap of faith. So, trust in Him, lean on Him, let Him direct and guide you into the dream He has placed in your heart. Ms. EV