Embolden

Acts 2:3 - They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

I want to start this post off with The Message version of Romans 8:29-30:

"God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun."

One of the most sought after answers in life is "purpose". Innumerous books have been written on the subject. "What is the purpose of life? Why are we here? What happens when we die?" By design, we were implanted with a desire to know the answers to those types of questions. Something deep within us remains unsettled. So we live and pursue "life" - as we know it - based off our understanding of purpose. Or, in the search of "it". How we define purpose ultimately determines how we live our life. Whether we consciously live out of that awareness or not. We live; driven by purpose - for something. Just - "what something?"

A sense of purpose, may be one of the most crucial and powerful life guiding forces. The perception of your purpose will define your identity. For who you are will be defined by how you live. With that in mind, what is real purpose? And does real purpose have power? Or is it all "decision and chance"? I believe that purpose was always intended to empower. Unfortunately, not all power is good. Nor the motives behind which that power is used. But on the flip side, there is a Power that is pure. And when you discover the intertwined relationship of the two; that by your design - you were created for more! You were created to move Heaven and Earth! You were created for impossibilities made realities! We were never meant for mediocrity or complacency. We were never created to be limited designs. Trapped in social norms or stereotypes. We were not created to be defined by cultural stigmas or social trends. The world is only hopeless when we live by a purpose that is defined by it.

The heart of God in our life, is undoubtedly to live emboldened in purpose. Our unique and divine purpose. Every single one of us was predestined with the greatest purpose in mind. It was written in our DNA. It's this divine purpose that moves the heart of fishermen to become observers. And the heart of the observer to become a participator. And the participator to become a visionary. It's men made disciples, made Apostles. On the other side of a renewed mind lies the potential for the impossible. Where the passions and desires in your heart are joined together with the power of God. And through mysteries unknown to man, we acquire the longings of His heart.

Matthew 11:12 "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize]."

When we become emboldened by our divine purpose, we become like "violent men" on a mission to seize Heaven by force! For behind the emboldened man, lies all the forces of Heaven. Jesus set the standard, laid the foundation, and gave the commission. Be emboldened by the divine purpose woven within you! How do you know what that is? Seek Him for it. And don't be surprised if things come alive in you that have no explanation. Don't get caught up trying to understand the unexplainable changes. You will be completely transformed with a heightened sense. A new awareness - new insights! New passions, gifting's, and desires! Things you never thought could be possible, or apply to you - will become your everyday norm. All the crazy things in you that told you to dream a little bigger. To take that step of faith you never took. Be emboldened by chasing His heart! When you find your divine purpose, you will be living your destiny. And the very fulfillment of the cause in which you were created for will birth a life in you, that is beyond anything you could ever imagine! It is the impossibilities of Heaven made manifest through us, as ambassadors of Christ.

Your passion and desires may be the pathway to your purpose. Early in my life I identified this void in me; one the church would describe as a hole in my soul that only God could fill. So I gave my life to Christ. But I still had the void! So I thought it was the absence of relational love in my life. So I got married. But I still had the void! So I bought stuff. Lots of stuff. I switched hobbies and interests. I did all I could think to do to find whatever was missing that I needed to fill the void inside of me. Then one day it happened; not so long ago even. I received a critical prayer and prophetic word over my life, and immediately I found myself having an experience with God that I cannot describe here in words. The very next day, my life was completely changed! The void was filled by an awareness of something that had come to life inside of me. And for the first time in my life perhaps; I knew what I was created to do. I had never written anything in my life, nor did I enjoy reading. Immediately I had a passion to read and write. And I began to get "insights" - mini revelations - that were not my own. I was given a laser focused passion for helping people figure out how to fill this very void I describe here. As well as a few other things. My musical talents, involvement in ministry or church. My marriage, friendships, career, and all my stuff was never the indicator of my purpose. Many of you reading this can probably relate to having that "unidentifiable" feeling in you. The void that seems to go unfulfilled even though you have tried all the available avenues to quench it. We were all designed for a purpose. The Bible say's "Where there is no vision, my people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). Some translations say "Where there is no vision, there is no hope". We were all infused with seeds of destiny. I mentioned that I was not aware of what these things were until I had that empowering encounter with God after receiving prayer. But I also never asked God to reveal those things to me. I never asked Him what that void was. So I don't want to imply that you cannot know today - right now even - what that thing(s) are. If you don't really know, then take time to pray and ask God to reveal it to you. If you have a burning passion and desire(s) for something, they may be the clues to your purpose. You will know you are on the right track by this: that "thing" will represent the heart of God working through your life. In other words, it will reveal God and His goodness to the world around you. When you operate in you purpose, it will have a dramatic effect on the world around you. In everything you do really. You will also feel the most alive when you do it. The void will be quenched.

"The world is only hopeless when we live by a purpose that is defined by it."

Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."