Preferences or Purpose

This weekend we had an amazing time with a wonderful group of single women. Our speaker of the hour shared so much wisdom from her own experience and God-given revelation that I believe there wasn’t a single lady who left our time together without something to chew on and apply to their lives – including me.

Of the many things our speaker shared that I grabbed hold of, there was one question that stuck with me as a result of a comment she made. Do you want your preferences, or do you want your purpose? Although she was sharing this to an audience of single women who desire to be married, I think this question is applicable to all of us regardless of our gender or marital status. Do you want your preferences, or do you want your purpose?

 In many cases, I believe much of what we think we need to fulfill our purpose is actually just our preference. We think we need a platform before we can speak. We think we need thousands of followers on social media before we can have influence. We think we need to have a degree before we have credibility. We think we need money before we can do ministry. But how much of that is just what we would prefer?

 Jesus never had a platform, yet He was continuously speaking to the people. The only social media He had was word of mouth testimonies from the people He had blessed. His credibility was not based on a degree, but on His demonstrations of power. We never once heard of Jesus being concerned about money. He focused on ministry and the money was provided when it was needed.

 One of the comments I hear probably more often than anything else is, “I don’t know what my purpose is.” Could it be that some of us have not come to know what our purpose is because we’re holding on so tightly to our preferences?

 If you are holding on tightly to staying in your hometown but you’re called to a different territory, you’re not going to fulfill your purpose. If you’re holding on tightly to staying in the background when God is calling you to the forefront, you’re not going to fulfill your purpose. If you spend all your money on yourself when you’ve been instructed to sow it into a ministry, you’re not going to fulfill your purpose.

 You know, the enemy is a sneaky little devil. (Yes, pun intended!) If he knows he can’t get you caught up in something overt, he’ll ensnare you with something subtle. He knows if he can get you to hold on tightly to your preferences that he can hinder you from walking in your purpose. 

 If you’re serious about wanting to walk in your purpose, then I would encourage you to take some time today to identify which of your preferences you’re holding onto tightly. And once the Holy Spirit reveals them to you, be willing to loosen your grip and release them. That way, if needed, God will be able to exchange your preferences for His purpose.

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