to your industry or life. Woodpeckers, remember? I believe that an enormous part of finding purpose in life involves being curious and open to God moving the needle of your compass. Then, you have to push through the confusion until there is clarity.
It’ s been said that the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you discover why. When you get your bearings, an exhilarating sense of purpose and destiny will come, even during a disorienting season. Each morning you’ ll be able to plant your feet on the floor deliberately, because you aren’ t an accident. You were created“ on purpose for a purpose,” as Tim Tebow likes to say.
Use What You’ ve Got and Don’ t Wait Foster your curiosity, open yourself to your wonder, and ask, like da Vinci did, Why, Lord, is that tongue the length it is? Why did you make me the way you did? You had to have a reason. What is my unique purpose, and how can I do it to the best of my ability with all my heart?
You are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus that you might do all the things He long ago destined you to do.
For Jacob, this meant carrying on the family lineage and stewardship over the promises God gave to Abraham, Jacob’ s grandfather. Jacob went on to have twelve sons who grew into tribes and became a nation, the one that Jesus— the ladder from heaven who carried the sins of the world on His holy shoulders— would come from. His family dwelled in the land to the north, south, east, and west and was a blessing to people everywhere.
When Jacob caught a glimpse of God’ s cosmic plan, he wanted to do anything he could to participate in it. The problem was he was penniless and had no influence. This is where many of us get paralyzed with inaction. We tell ourselves that one day we will get around to doing what God put us on the earth to do; we just can’ t do it yet. Because, you know, it’ s just not the right time. Or we will have a better ability to do it when such-and-such lines up.
But that’ s a trap. You mustn’ t let what you can’ t do keep you from doing what you can.
When Jacob poured oil on that rock, it symbolized pouring out his life for a worthy cause. He wanted to ascend God’ s ladder, not by his good works but through God’ s undeserved grace. Jacob basically said,“ I’ m in. I refuse to miss out on that opportunity.” He could have said,“ One day I will do something.” Instead, he decided to lay the first stone of Bethel, the house of God, on the spot. This is huge.
When you can’ t do the good you would, do the good you can.
Jacob couldn’ t build the entirety of God’ s house, which he caught a glorious glimpse of, but he could lay the first stone. It was all he had, but that was all he needed to participate.
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