Why am I here?

Have you ever been boggled by questions like,“Can I do anything significant in this life time?” “What is my purpose here on earth?” “Was there a purpose in me being born?” “Does my life really matter?” If you have, then this is for you to read and ponder upon. If not, I hope that by the end of reading this you will be encouraged to ask yourself the same questions and try answer them.

Most of the time we look at people whom I will say ‘have made it’ and think “gosh how did they get there?” or probably go with the easier option of “some people are just lucky” but truth is: it is not a matter of probability but a matter of mindset. When talking about mindset, it is your attitude towards a particular phenomenon – how you think and what you think about a particular thing, situation or event. What you think or meditate on is who you become, and I am sure you have heard this a number of times. Some of you are probably thinking of Proverbs 23:7 as I speak that “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”

For the longest time, a woman’s ‘place’ had been known to be the kitchen. The purpose of a woman was closely related with nurturing and domestic responsibilities; which is of course true to a certain extent but quite limiting for any woman. If one were to probably get a chance to individually interview women then, on what they thought their role or purpose was; the most reoccurring answer would have probably been, “to get married and have children.” This is contrary to how most women think nowadays in respect of their future and significance. Women today are career driven, goal oriented and dream assertive; which is a liberating breakthrough. Women are realizing that there is more to life beyond marriage and having children, and that is purpose. Purpose is the reason why you are who you are. It answers the questions of: for whom were you born and for what reason were you born.

Living life from a perspective of purpose is fulfilling and rewarding. You realize that your life matters, you are needed, you are worth it, you have something unique that other people need and most importantly you have been given by God an opportunity to serve others. Purpose is different from career, goals and dreams. A career - anyone can have, goals - anyone can set, and dreams - everyone dreams but as for purpose - it is uniquely crafted and fashioned by God to personally accentuate you as an individual. Jeremiah 1:5, which we are quite familiar with says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” God was telling Jeremiah that He had ordained him a prophet to the nations even before he was born. This is purpose and everyone has one. This does not mean that we are all called to be prophets, no. Some of you God has ordained; musicians to the nations, entrepreneurs to the nations, poets to the nations, writers to the nations, politicians to the nations, doctors to the nations, the list is endless.

Women in the bible like Ruth, Esther, the widow of Zarephath, Deborah and Jael set a benchmark as to what greater roles God expects us women to tap into. A bit of background on what each woman is known for… Ruth bore the lineage of Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:17-22), Esther delivered the Jews from Haman’s evil plot to have them killed and annihilated (Esther 4, 8), the widow of Zarephath fed Elijah in his wondering about and hiding at brook Cherith (1 Kings 17:8-16), Deborah was the only female judge in Israel (Judges 4) and Jael killed a great enemy of Israel, Sisera (Judges 4: 17-21). These are all women but look at the work they are noted and remembered for because of purpose. Ruth is not remembered as the woman who married Boaz but a woman who bore the lineage of Christ, Esther is not remembered as the woman who married King Ahasuerus but a woman who saved the Jews, Deborah is not remembered as the wife of Lappidoth but a woman who became the only female judge in Israel and Jael is not remembered as Hebers wife but the woman who killed Sisera. That is purpose; it is uniquely crafted and fashioned by God to personally accentuate you as an individual & it answers the questions of: for whom were you born and for what reason were you born.

Now going back to mindset, I put it to you that (a Roux moment) do you believe you are significant? Do you believe you have a purpose? Do you believe that your life matters, not just to you but to others too? Because as you think so shall you be, according to Proverbs 23:7. Your attitude towards you will determine how far you go in life and whether you fulfil the purpose that you were brought on this earth for. Life is beyond career, marriage, children, goals but it is about purpose. Discover your purpose, you discover You. For some time I have been pleading my case before God asking Him to reveal to me like He did to Jeremiah what my purpose is. I once posted a status on my Facebook (which reminds me of my hearts' cry) which read “There has got to be more to life, I won’t stop searching until I find it.” I don’t know what other people may have thought I was searching for but I was simply talking about purpose; until God reveals it I will not stop asking because I understand that when I find purpose, I find me and when I find me I know exactly why I am here.

I cannot tell you why YOU are here but God can. He has the answers. My urge to you today is to challenge your mind to think beyond “some people are lucky” “some people were just made for this and that” “marriage and children is the ultimate.” Everyday in your mind these are the words that should be echoing “I have a purpose, I was born for a reason, God appointed me to be and until I discover what that purpose is – I will not stop enquiring of the Lord.”