July 26, 2026 | Ptr Jim Whelchel
What Is Your Purpose?
Why are you here? What is the purpose of your life? The world offers many answers. Some pursue success, influence, wealth, or relationships, believing these will bring lasting fulfillment. While these pursuits may have value, they can never satisfy the purpose for which God created us.
Imagine using a screwdriver as a pry bar. It may work for a moment, but eventually it will break because it was never designed for that purpose. Likewise, when we live outside God’s design, we often experience frustration and emptiness. Our lives only make sense when they align with the purpose of the One who created us.
Scripture makes that purpose clear. God first desires that we be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. He calls us to glorify Him, love Him and others, grow into Christ’s likeness, and make disciples (Matthew 22:37-39; Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 8:29). These are God’s purposes for every believer.
At the same time, God has a unique calling for each of us. Psalm 139:16 reminds us that He knew us before we were born, while Ephesians 2:10 declares that we are His workmanship, created for the good works He prepared in advance for us. Like David, who “served God’s purpose in his own generation” (Acts 13:36), our greatest fulfillment comes not from pursuing our own ambitions but from faithfully embracing God’s purpose for our lives.
Abraham’s life shows us what it looks like to do exactly that.
Believe and Obey
When God called Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4), He promised to make him into a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him. Before Abraham saw any of those promises fulfilled, however, God asked him to leave everything familiar and follow Him into the unknown. Abraham obeyed without knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 tells us that he went by faith because he trusted the One who had called him.
God often works the same way in our lives. He asks us to trust Him before revealing the entire journey. Whether receiving Christ, stepping into ministry, or obeying His leading in another area, faith often requires obedience before understanding.
Abraham’s Path Wasn’t Easy
Obedience did not spare Abraham from hardship. Soon after arriving in the promised land, he encountered famine (Genesis 12:10). Later came conflict, battles, loss, and years of waiting for the son God had promised.
From a human perspective, God’s promise seemed impossible. Yet God reaffirmed His covenant, declaring Abraham the father of many nations before Isaac was even born (Genesis 17:5).
When Isaac finally arrived years later, it was undeniable that God had kept His word (Genesis 21:1-7). Delays were never denials. God’s promises are fulfilled according to His perfect timing.
Persevere
Abraham’s story reminds us that God’s purposes often require perseverance.
Following Christ does not eliminate hardship. Instead, God uses trials to strengthen our faith, deepen our dependence on Him, and prepare us for His greater purposes. When His promises seem distant, we are called to keep trusting the God who always keeps His word.
Surrender
After Isaac was born, God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his beloved son as a sacrifice (Genesis 22). Though he could not understand God’s command, Abraham obeyed, believing that God Himself would provide.
At the last moment, God stopped him and provided a ram in Isaac’s place. This beautiful picture points forward to Jesus Christ, the promised descendant of Abraham, whom God would provide as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world (Galatians 3:6-9, 29).
Living God’s purpose requires surrender. God often asks us to lay down our ambitions, comforts, and fears so that His greater purposes can be accomplished through us.
Go Beyond
God’s promise to Abraham was never meant to bless only one family or one nation. Through him, God intended to bless the entire world.
That same heart is reflected in Christ’s Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20). Acts 1:8 reminds us that we are His witnesses both where we are and to the ends of the earth.
Millions of people still have little or no access to the gospel. Some believers are called to go, while others are called to pray, give, encourage, or support those who do. Every follower of Christ has a part to play in God’s global mission.
Living Your Purpose
Where is God calling you today? Perhaps He is asking you to believe and obey. Perhaps He is calling you to persevere through a season of waiting. Or perhaps He is inviting you to surrender something you have been holding onto.
Like Abraham, we were not created to live for ourselves but to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world. As we trust Him, persevere through life’s challenges, and surrender fully to His will, we discover the purpose for which we were made.
May our prayer echo the heart of those who have gone before us: that Christ would be our Savior, God’s Word our guide, His people our family, and the whole world our mission field.