Living into Our Divine Purpose: Part 1

The Importance of Purposeful Living

In spite of the 2 feet of snow we are currently experiencing here in Buffalo, the month of March is annually marked on our calendars as the first day of Spring, the season which will undoubtedly surround us with new life. March also marks the one-year anniversary date of the start of the Covid pandemic. I think we’d all agree that it has been quite a tumultuous year, don’t you think? It will be so good to hear the birds singing once again & to see them nesting amidst all the new life sprouting forth from the slumbering, frozen earth. As we look at our calendars & realize we have been living in this environment of pain, suffering, death, grief, extreme disorder & broken imperfection for a year now, with no cure in sight at this time, it feels like a significant challenge to know how to go forward. The thought of possibly living through another year of hopelessness, fear, & insecurity due to the unknown, to say nothing of the continued conflict & violence that we have witnessed & experienced during this year, is a rather daunting thought, isn’t it? In many ways, it feels as though we have been just sort of wandering through our lives this past year without a purpose or direction other than to just exist or maintain ourselves. Whatever the driving force may be, whether fear, anger or something else, that has been informing our living through these disordered days, causing us to feel broken, hopeless, insecure, & in conflict with one another, it is certainly not contributing to a feeling of health, be it mental, physical or spiritual.

As we stand at the crossroads of the beginning of another year of unknowns that at least at its start, brings with it all the unsettled feelings & challenges of the last year, it feels like a good time for us to pause & perhaps make some adjustments, as we intentionally evaluate exactly what our purpose in life is, what the driving force is for us that motivates us to live into that purpose & how our choices & decisions, day in & day out, reflect our purpose. For without a clear purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, & events without reason. Surely, maintaining, surviving & merely existing is not the main reason that each day we are given the gift of a new day of life to live in this tumultuous time or any other time for that matter. For there is no hope, peace, beauty, love, or security in merely existing. It does seem that if our life was informed by a clear purpose, regardless of the earthly circumstances we find ourselves in, that we would feel more hopeful & secure & be more productive.

The Holy Bible tells us that the ultimate goal or purpose of all of creation, which of course includes human beings, is to proclaim & reflect the glory of God. God’s glory is the essence of His nature, the weight of His importance, the radiance of His splendor, the demonstration of His power, & the atmosphere of His presence. It is the expression of His goodness & all His other intrinsic, eternal qualities. God created every living thing, including humankind, to show His glory. That is His Divine purpose for all life. His steadfast, unconditional, eternal love for all of His creation is the driving force that directs the fulfilment of His divine purpose. Without God, life has no purpose. Without purpose life has no meaning, & without meaning life has no significant hope. 

~Posted by Rev Kathryn Bindig, MDiv. MS; Pastoral Care Minister with assistance from Rich Muscatello; Director of Business Development & Strategy