The purpose driven life

At one point or the other, everybody questions the purpose of existence .  The need to know the purpose of life is not ridiculous but absolutely normal. Questions like why am I here? What is the purpose of life, marriage and other myriad of questions will certainly crop up in the mind of man  in the course of his life time.

Photo credit.www.the yogi movement.com

 Unfortunately, many live life without fully finding the true answer to that question. This is because a lot of people are looking in the wrong places. Since man did not simply burst into creation but is the well thought-out hand work of a creator, it goes to say he will ultimately  find answers in his creator.  

In what is popular described as the Great Commission, Jesus sent his disciples out on their own to "preach this message, the kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead,cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons" Matthew 10:7-8.

This command does not apply to the disciples alone but also to us. It is a calling and a purpose that should drive our lives.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead and cleanse those who have leprosy. In your marriage and at work, preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead and cleanse those who have leprosy.!! Are you a teacher, midwife, sales-person, care-giver, do same too!

Photo credit:www.Cherylcope.com

This might seem too basic but it's the pathway to discovering the purpose of life.

The great commission  was the driving purpose in Paul's ministry. Everything he did and indeed his whole life was centred on these five pillars.  For Paul "to live is Christ". Preaching Jesus the Christ was all Paul lived for.

(Philippians 1:21). What about you?

Don't get muddled up in what's not. Don't sit on a shelf waiting for an apparition to appear and tell you to do. 

Don' waste precious  time over- thinking stuffs,  the disciples didn't and life eventually  made sense. What an amazing testimony they had on their  return...that's what I call fulfillment and it only comes at the place of living a purpose driven life; everything else pales in comparison. 

Finding laughter.

I read an interesting article recently in which ace Nigerian comedian Basket Mouth was largely critiqued for not including the godfather of Nigerian comedy Alibaba in his list of top five favourite comedians of all time.

BasketMouth 

You know how people jump on a case without getting the whole gist, well they jumped on this case because who doesn't know that Alibaba  is the king of them all-twale baba.! Nuff respect.

Alibaba

In response to the furore over his "controversial" list, BasketMouth got to defend his claim during an interview with Olisa  on "The Truth". His explanation blew my mind and inspired this post. His explanation "for me I don't like putting Alibaba on the same level. When he was grooming me, we went for a burial and Ali said, " look around, crack 5 jokes with everything you  have seen. I tried but could only cracking one. Ali baba then told me to listen. He cracked jokes with everything....so that is something  else".

Talk about being put on the spot!! An initial response to such an absurd  request would be "there is nothing to laugh about in that setting". Mind you the request was not to find something to joke about the corpse but to find  things to joke about IN that environment!
The Israelites  found themselves in such a situation ages ago. Captive in a foreign land, far from home and everything familiar. To make matters worse their captors expected them to make a merry song in their situation. Psalm 137:4 " how can we sing the songs of the lord while in a foreign land". They did not have to make up a song, the song of zion was in them already  just as it is in  us but they had a problem with singing  in a foreign land!! Don't we all sometimes.
No matter how careful  we are, we will find ourselves in a "foreign land" sometimes. A foreign land could be a divorce, sickness, bankruptcy etc. It is an adverse and contrary situation. Who laughs in that kind of situation? How do you laugh in the midst of adversity?
Truths to note

• Anybody can laugh in good times but It takes a heart that is grounded, matured and trusts in God to rejoice in the midst of trial. Paul and Silas sang and prayed the prison doors down. Act 16:25
• Looking eyes see.You have to look beyond the pain to really see.
• Even  the small things count If you consider them closely.
• 1 Thessalonian 5:18- give thanks in all circumstances.  In the midst of the storm be thankful
• laughter makes trying situations a bit more tolerable .I. e  it smoothen's the rough edges.
• You are alive, there is hope and " hope maketh not ashamed". Hope fuels faith.
• its a show of strength.
  

 I must say it was a hard thing to ask but not impossible; if it were the request would not have been made. Alibaba had seen possible joke materials at the  event that's why he made the seemingly difficult demand on his protégée. The request was to enable his intern push the envelope and expand his mind; take him from the level of mediocrity to excellence. Basketmouth is better off with the "hardline training he got. God expects his children to find joy in every situation. IT GROWS YOU. Your ability to find elements of joy in dreary situations stands you out on a different level and that my friend is something else.

Photo credit. Www.hack writers. Com

Do not forget

Despite my best intentions, I have become an ardent viewer of award winning television series "Hollyoaks" . It started as a simple attempt to pass the time one lazy evening and here I am "hooked"..line and sinker included.  Truth be said, the programme  has got an amazing cast with a brilliant plot filled with mind bogling yet interesting twists. In a particular episode Louis Loveday a very intelligent teacher with a knack for being in the  frontline with the students forgot an important event. From the top of his head, he could list the dates of great events in world history but this day he forgot the date of an historical moment closer to home-HIS WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!! Who does that?

Women love daily attention more so on anniversaries. It's special to us. Can I get an amen sisters?..lol

Let's not get muddled in the argument that it's a typical man thing to forget such things but zone into the fact that he forgot. SIMPLE.
Many times forgetting is simply the sign of how busy we are,stress or general going ons of life.

Just like Loveday, we  forget the things that matter but somehow  remember  the things that do not directly or even remotely  affect us...things that in the larger picture do not matter in the calender of life. Many times in the bible, the Lord would warn the Israelites never to be so subsumed in their new found wealth and freedom in the promise land that they forget the mighty arm that delivered them from the bondage of Pharaoh and Egypt. "Do not forget" is also a running theme in the New testament. Most times its not a deliberate choice to forget,  it's just human nature.

Thank God for the Holy spirit who "teaches us all things and bring all things to our rememberance".

People in the bible had different ways of remembering significant events.
Abraham built alters to God at significant moment in  his life.
Jacob set a stone and poured oil on it as a memorial of God's  visit with him in the night.
Just before his death at the last supper Jesus told his disciples to always re-enact the breaking of bread in memory of him. If it wasn't important he wouldn't have told them to remember the act.
So how do we remember.

• Prioritise: remember not all things deserve space in your heart.
• write it down: Habukkuk 2:2keep a diary or write small notes and strategically set them in your house or office. 
• Set reminders: Thank God for technology.many gadgets allow you to set reminders to yourself.  
• Be appreciative: gratitude is a conscious expression and reflection on good happenings and even bad events that have occurred to us afterall scripture says "all things work together for good"
• Enlist the help of others: for instance break bread together with others. Get friends to remind you of God's  faithfulness  when you stray. 
• Find what works for you.

Today, choose to remember the people that matter to you- friends that have impacted and influenced you positively in the journey of life..never mind the haters and betrayers

Remember the sunny and happy days and not dwell too much on a bleak and dreary weather cos it will soon blow away.

Don't  spend your time subsumed in the things that don't matter lest you forget the things that really do.