It is said that the human mind is a wandering mind always longing to do something as long as there is a reason to do it no matter how flimsy. We tend to attach progress and happiness to being busy.
To be busy is man’s only happiness- Mark Twain
This is where the issue lies. God created man with a soul and He definitely gave him a mind so that he can use it. The Adam before the fall in Eden had a wandering mind too. Yet, he pursued Purpose in the perfect environment because what he did or did not do did not depend on the dictates of his mind but God’s Spirit. God expects us to use our mind but this is so far as we follow the leading of His Spirit.
Many times, God does not define progress as our minds define it. We always tend to define progress in terms of how busy we are than on productivity.
The story of the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land is an illustration of this principle.
When the Cloud lifted, the people of Israel moved on to wherever it stopped, and camped there.
In this way, they journeyed at the command of the Lord, stopped when he told them to, and remained there as long as the Cloud stayed.
Sometimes, the fire-cloud stayed only during the night and moved on the next morning. But day or night, when it moved, the people broke camp and followed.
If the Cloud stayed above the Tabernacle two days, a month, or a year, that is how long the people of Israel stayed; but as soon as it moved, they moved.
The Israelites had been miraculously delivered from the bondage of the Egyptians. [Just as you have been freed from the web of purposelessness.] They now started the journey to the land on which their Creator had promised they would settle.
[The pursuit of purpose is a journey to possess and settle in the land specially prepared and promised to you long before you were born]
The success of their journey however depended on their ability to follow God as He led them by the pillars of cloud and fire. They sometimes had to remain at a point in their journey not because they did not know the way or were clueless but because God did not move. If the reason for which they remained at a place for while was cluelessness, then it was God who must be held to be clueless. At least, they knew the way back to Egypt, just like our Fathers would say ‘if we cannot move forward we do know the way backwards.’ But can God be clueless? NEVER! Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Roman Church:
Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favour that God has to ask his advice?
Your purpose is not a decision but a discovery. Thus, its pursuit must be by instruction and not construction or configuration. You cannot just cook up something so that you can make progress. You have to be commanded so as not to be stranded. You have to be sure that God is the origin of any step you take and not just your desire and ambition to do something. Your Purpose is about God and not you. It is in His plan that your purpose is relevant. He must lead you both in the start of your journey as well as in its process.
The Pursuit of Purpose is not about doing things, not even the good things, but about the right things. God is the determinant of what is right because He is the source and the source determines the resource.
This implies that you cannot go far in the pursuit of purpose if your ego is not crushed by the cross and if you will not fall prostrate before God to ask one of the most important questions for your pursuit of Purpose:
“What must I do Lord?”
Perhaps you really should do an evaluation of how far you have gone in the pursuit of your life assignment.
- Do you think you are making progress by doing the good things or the right things?
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Are there instructions that you are yet to carry out because your mind revolts against the sensibility and relevance of such instructions?
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Are you being busy or productive?
If your heart does not condemn you, then be not weary in doing the right things even if it seems you are not moving as others are. Do not compare your journey with that of others. With God, progress is not always forward motion but “obedient motion!”
Photo Credit: http://www.yast.com
©2014, Alabi AimPurpose IfeOluwa
All rights reserved.
JUSTPURPOSE WEEKLY 
Indeed a life without purpose s a life without meaning…a life full of activities without productivities s no ‘life’.For me,nothing s best described this piece other than execellence.The reason s because it wraps up d whole essence of life -purpose & traces it to it origin -God.From this piece I learnt that God is purpose,to know your purpose in life know God.Welldone Aimpurpose & more greese..
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The God of Purpose is not a God of activities but of Productivity. That is why there is such a grave implication for unfruitfulness. I am glad you gleaned valuable lessons from this post. Thanks for sharing too Tunde!
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Efficiency Vs Effectiveness. I think this is one thing that will help us to question an action waiting for execution.
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I can’t agree less. Unfortunately, we are not always proactive enough as to examine the source of our actions. We act on impulse without instruction. Thanks for reading and commenting Blessing. Glad to have you here!
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To have knowledge about your purpose u must first reverence God because is all for him and decide to live by conviction of God and not man. To Discover purpose, u must stand for God or u will fall for anything. remember your flight determines your light . Keep the work going AIM!
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I agree about the need for reverence for God in the discovery and pursuit of Purpose. Thanks for the kind words Michael.
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