In Our Quietest Moment, We Ask This Question

“What am I doing with my life?” This is a question I often ask myself. In my earlier twenties I asked this when I saw people moving forward with their life, especially after I had thrown away a week to a new hobby or a new obsession. Even when there is significant progress towards my own life goals, there are moments I find myself asking this question.

I’m the kind of person that searches for meaning and purpose. The kind of person that interprets the idea of making everyday count as a call to make a difference in the world, or at least in someone’s world. So when I spend too much time gratifying my own selfish appetites, I’m left with an empty feeling because I know that my effort amounts to nothing. I’m not the only one that experiences this.

A great example are the generations of high school graduates I’ve watched enter the world, notably with a “live life to it’s fullest” attitude that translates into a justification for a reckless lifestyle. As life becomes harder and poor decisions pile up, they’ll watch their peers pass them by and in their quietest of moments they whisper to themselves, “What am I doing with my life?”

Christians are not immune to this. Just like any other human being we can find ourselves at the end of a fruitless passion. Chasing idols that have left us hurt and disappointed. In our search for hope and direction we ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” Those looking for purpose and direction can best answer that question by answering, “What is God’s Will?” And to answer that question let’s look to the Bible:

2 Peter 3 says, “9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

This passage is speaking towards the second coming of Jesus and why it’s taken so long. Time has been given to us because it’s the heart of God that none should perish, giving people ample opportunity to repent and come to know Jesus. If that is God’s heart, if that is His will-that none should perish- then what does that have to do with us?

Matthew 28:18–20 states “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is the Great Commission. Given by Jesus after establishing His deity through His resurrection. There are three things we should note:

1. This is a command to His disciples to make DISCIPLES. Jesus gave a command to produce followers, people who turned away from their own methods and philosophies of life and turning to the ways of Jesus, entering into a relationship with Him.So it’s not about having people simply attend church or doing “good” things in the community. It’s about a lifestyle of unlearning our sinful habits and adopting the way of Jesus, the process sanctification. If you’re a Christian who has only ever made a commitment to Christ and then only attended a weekly service, we have done a great disservice to you, by not teaching you how to truly walk with Jesus. Thus robbing of the joy of what it really means to be a disciple.
2. This is a command to His DISCIPLES to make disciples. When I was younger in my faith, I used to think it was the job of the pastors to make disciples. As just a member of the church I’d support them by showing up to events and activities. It wasn’t until I read Ephesians 4:12, that I realized that I had it all wrong. I realized that, it is not the job of the pastor to make disciples. It is the job of the Christian. And as a Christian I needed to take responsibility for this command.
3. This is a COMMAND to His disciples to make disciples. At any given moment, I have the urge to chase girls, play Fallout 4 or go workout. All these things have their place in life, and unfortunately I can fill my life with activity to the exclusion of the Great Commission. One thing we have to remember about the Great Commission is that it is a command, not a suggestion. No matter the reason we may have for not observing this command, we will be held accountable for it.

So, God’s desire is that none should perish but enter into a personal relationship with Him, and He has commissioned you the Christians to be the method in which people learn about Him. If you’re ever at a point where you’re wondering what you should be doing with your life, start here. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to drop your passions and “enter into the ministry.” This just brings perspective to your life, because it brings purpose to your passions! So whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. If you’re looking for a more concrete way of taking responsibility for the Great Commission, here’s something you can do:

My home church has a really cool card that we give our congregation. On one side it says,

“I will seek to invest in others who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and invite them to church.”

Then on the other side it says:

“The following is a list of three people I am attempting to invest in and invite to church:

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

I will:

Pray daily for them

Share my verbal witness

Invite them to Church”

It simply serves as a daily reminder to be intentional about sharing Jesus. We were encouraged to stick them in places we would see them on a daily basis like a bathroom mirror. I taped mine to the bottom of of my MacBook next to the trackpad. You can do the same thing with a sticky note or something. So pick three people, and start praying for them! God will show you opportunities to share with them!

My personal prayer is that whenever someone in their quietest moment asks, “What am I doing with my life?” that they would remember that they have a God given mission. They have a purpose.