Purpose

“God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose” – Oswald Chambers

This line hit me this morning as I drank in my liquid alarm clock. I struggle greatly with definitive statements like this. Words like “never” and “always” cause me to rebel and prove wrong. Doubt is always in the recesses of my mind. However, this line from Chambers grew on me. We think that sometimes we at least accidentally stumble upon God’s purpose. I mean, we’re all a mess, but not that much of a mess. We can still choose good, give to charity, and help the unsuspected elderly cross the road. Surely this has to count.

I resent pastors and writers who preach from this perspective – that I am so corrupted and depraved, choosing good is impossible. This ignores the common grace God gives to even those who reject Him. And while I don’t fully stand with this perspective, I do appreciate how dependent it is on our Lord. To “accept” Christ is a call to walk with Him daily. To be so reliant on Him, it dictates every action. He is to be our guide in the day to day confusion of life. If we knew fully what to do, we simply wouldn’t need God nor His grace. We can take heart that the compass of life is available for us when we humbly admit our deficiencies. We are called to be something different than we are. We are called to greater purpose.

21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
    but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21)