Words'nTone

Another thing: where do we get the idea that each one of us has an individualized purpose, a custom-tailored -just-for-me-purpose designed by God?  In America, as one person remarked, we have 290 million gods.  And, it is hard to please them all.  I’d add: we have 290 million popes that can determine, all by themselves, God’s individualized purpose for their lives.  If we all are to find individualized purpose—a plan designed just for me—then we are bound to be vying for fulfilling that purpose—all together, each one doing what is right in his or her own eyes.  (Isn’t there something biblical negative about that in the first place?) Now don’t get me wrong, or misunderstand.  I do believe that, through council, a discipleship relationship, and with the assistance of a larger Christian community (one’s church or elders for example), a sub-purpose (and individual plan) can be promoted and determined and fostered and fulfilled.  But such calls for finding God’s purpose for one’s life isn’t set within that mode of disciples, but set very much within the context of American individualism and self-fulfillment.  On a Sunday morning, we are not 300 (using my church’s attendance as an example) individuals looking for custom-tailored purposes (And, perhaps potentially competing purposes, too.  And what happens if the purpose I hear--determine--God calling me to is to preach at my church--do you think the present pastor is just going to say “Okay”?).  We ought to be 300 individuals being called to a purpose.  We continue to confuse God’s call to “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness” with American individualism and self-fulfillment.  No wonder God’s purpose doesn’t get done and we find ourselves frustrated, joyless, troubled, anxious, and plagued by individual sins and guilt.

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