I loved the Disney Pixar movie Soul. Besides being an unbiblical representation of the afterlife, it has a good lesson about passion and purpose. It explains that God created us all with a purpose in mind. The main character, Joe, is a struggling jazz musician. Through it, he has a near-death experience and learns to appreciate the challenges and victories of life. During Joe’s journey, he meets an unborn soul named 22. He helps her discover her “spark” or passion. Joe makes a dramatic mistake in thinking the “spark” is what you are on earth to accomplish, or your “spark” is what is naturally easy for you. He discovers that the “spark” is a passion for life and embracing life’s challenges and victories. Christians have a passion and contentment when they come to faith. God’s peace and joy guide your life through brutal storms. There is an assurance that He will accomplish His will through you.
God created you for a specific purpose, to reach people in your community. There is no one else like you. When you find that purpose, it gives you energy, drive, commitment, and self-worth. Agreeing with Joe’s beliefs, your “spark” or gifting provides insight into your purpose. God made you with those natural talents and skills to accomplish HIS will, plan, and purpose. What comes naturally to you, or what is your passion? What keeps you up at night? The answer to all of these questions are clues to what God wants you to accomplish for HIM.
God created you with intentionality for a specific role. You were born in one particular family, in a specific town, and work for a specific company. God positions you to fulfill your purpose. Everything that you learn along the way has a purpose in His plan for you. Except for calculus and geometry – there is no redeemable purpose for that.
I have looked back over my life and the different jobs that I have had. I discovered that each job taught me something that led me to fulfill His purpose. For the first 25 years of my career, I worked as a graphic artist. Today I use those skills almost daily as I prepare posts for Face
book, Instagram, and Twitter. Another position taught me how to analyze trends and process improvements. Studying numbers and thinking about ministry from that perspective has helped make effective decisions for the church. The position I currently hold has taught me about event planning and programming. The culmination of this training prepared me for the very purpose that God had in mind for me. All of the time that I thought I was wasting was preparing me for Boundless Sisterhood ministries. Do not despise the educational process that you are going through; it will be helpful one day. Do it as unto the Lord because the information will not go unused. God will use it to fulfill His purpose for your life.
Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made. — ESV, emphasis mine
God created us for His glory. The word create in the original Hebrew is bārā’. When this particular word is used, God is the only subject — God is the creator! Bārā’ is a verb and, only God can create in this particular way. Humans may be able to create a painting or chaos, but we cannot bārā’. Only God could have created you, and He did it for His glory. We give glory to God by fulfilling the purpose that He created us to do. Have you, along with Joe, found the “spark” that God bārā’ in you? Have you helped anyone else find their “spark”?
