Purpose

“Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” - Matthew 9:37-38

Jesus has a unique purpose for you. I know this because He said so in Matthew 9:37-38. We each have a vital role to play in God's Kingdom. We do not have to travel to a foreign country, be great speakers, or have magnetic personalities, we are simply called to testify about God’s power and mighty works in our lives. We do not have to be perfect, because none of us are worthy of God's grace, and that is what makes it so powerful. No matter how far we have fallen or what we have done, Jesus can pick us up, dust us off, and use us for His purpose.

When the Spirit first revealed God's calling to me, my first thought was, “How could God use someone like me?” I had doubts and fears, but I knew that Jesus was calling me. I found that whenever God calls, Satan questions, making us doubt both our calling and our suitability. All we can see are our failures. But the Bible gives us example after example of God's calling of failures. Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:75), Paul persecuted the Church (Galatians 1:13), and John Mark left Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). However, in each situation, God's calling was fulfilled, and His servants grew into mighty men of faith.

But one of the greatest examples was a demon-possessed man called Legion. He was totally hopeless and helpless. He was an outcast. Can you imagine? A Roman Legion ranged in size from 4,200 to 6,000 men. This man had so many demons in him that he could not be tamed or controlled. He was violent and could not be bound (Mark 5:2-5). Legion was naked, so his shame was displayed for all to see. So, when he was healed by Jesus, the crowd feared God and His power.

They knew how uncontrollably evil Legion was, and they witnessed him being restored (Mark 5:11-13). But instead of giving God glory for the miracle and welcoming Jesus as the Messiah, they told Him to leave (Mark 5:17). They were afraid and were not ready for Jesus' message (Mark 5:15). So, when the formerly demon-possessed man asked Jesus to let him follow Him, he was told to stay and be a witness to his friends and neighbors (Mark 5:18). He was told to testify right where he was (Mark 5:19).

This world is getting darker every day. Too many people appear to be blinded to God and ignore both His witness and His power. They tell Jesus to leave them alone. They are content as they are. But we are like Legion. Jesus has healed and restored us and has called us to testify to our friends and neighbors, those who knew what we were, and all of our past indiscretions. We are called to witness because we have been healed. God has called us to be lights in the darkness and to give hope to the hopeless. It is our mission. When Satan reminds you that your weaknesses and failures are legion and whispers that God cannot use you, go testify and let your life tell a story – it is your purpose.