What's my purpose?

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
     test me and know my anxious thoughts.
  See if there is any offensive way in me,
     and lead me in the way everlasting."
                                Psalm 139:23-24


"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
                                Jeremiah 1:5


We are not all meant to be prophets like Jeremiah, but it is certain that God has a purpose for each and every one of us. I have struggled throughout my life with exactly what is my purpose. Even more so over the last 4-5 years. For over 25 years I have been and IT guy. Every day going to work creating, maintaining and managing projects and products that allow our technological advances to solve business challenges. But I struggled to see God's purpose for me in those roles. I guess that is why I decided to opt for the voluntary separation plan from my last employer. I saw this as an opportunity to stop and think about what it is that God really wants me to do. Into my 7th month of thinking it is becoming clear.

Am I a prophet? No. Am I destined to go into the ministry? No. Am I to share the love of Christ through my words and actions every day for the rest of my life? Absolutely yes. Does this mean standing on the street corner preaching to everyone and anyone who will listen? I do not think so. But it does mean that I can have a very positive impact on each and every person that my life touches.

You see, what I have come to realize is that God has been using me all along in exactly the way He intended. I have always been respected for my management skills, known as being empathetic and compassionate, knowing how to motivate individuals to assure that a quality job gets done. God gave me the gifts of being very analytical, with innate abilities to quickly assess the root cause of any problem and put a plan of action in place.

I have been able to use my technology background to provide a tool to help people keep their promises to pray utilizing their Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. But I know that God wants me out amongst the masses, sharing His love across many boundaries. He has given me new challenges that test my anxious thoughts, as the quote from Psalm 139 says. He has made me a stronger person and shown me a glimpse of His purpose for me. I know there is much more to be revealed and I am excited to learn more details.

So what happened in the last 6+ months? I learned how to pray more effectively, with God's will in mind. I learned how to better study the Bible, using God's word more effectively in my daily life. I received reassurance of God's love for me and for every person on Earth. I learned that God had a purpose for me, as He does for everyone, before I was even conceived.

Please keep this last thought in mind and prayerfully consider supporting the Manhattan Declaration. Go to the website, read the declaration, watch the videos and pray for God's will to be done.

May God Bless your Wednesday.