Friday, March 26, 2010

FOR THIS PURPOSE WAS I BORN: MY STORY (1)

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” 2Tim 1:9


From a very early age, I knew what I was good at – writing! From the moment I learnt how to string words together, I started writing. I would read storybooks and re-write the ending. Sometimes I would add more adventures to the storyline. I never ever left a book the way it was, no, I always had to make it ‘better’! Then I moved on to writing my own stories. My schoolbooks had more stories written in them than actual schoolwork. My teachers complained a lot about that but it was something I never gave up despite repeated punishments.

When I entered secondary school, I was blessed with someone no person should ever lack – a teacher who encouraged my talent. My English teacher was a woman who was the much needed fuel to the fire within me. I went to a boarding school, so during those boring weekends, my friends would gather round me and ask me to write for them. They would all wait patiently while I scribbled as fast as I could. As they read the first story, I would already be hard at work on the second one. That developed me in ways I can never fully comprehend. God bless my friends!

I entered University and got distracted. I became involved in so many other pursuits and neglected my talent and stopped writing. But through it all, God was there working in the background. That was the time I discovered another talent in me – TALKING! (At least that’s what my mom calls it) I discovered the gift of oratory in me. I could make speeches in an instant without needing time to prepare.

Before graduating, I accepted Christ but didn’t yet have the Holy Spirit and had absolutely no clue about purpose. God however, had just started with me. When I started working, I discovered another interest – people! I loved meeting people, talking with them, learning their views, understanding them. It seemed I couldn’t just get enough of people! It was in the process of that that I discovered something that agitated me - people not having a focus or reason for living. That was when I looked at my own life and said, “Rayo, there has to be more to life than this”.

One quiet day in the office, I started thinking of all the millions of people working at jobs they didn’t like, not knowing what they want from life and just existing instead of really living. I decided I would start a company that would help people fit into their rightful place in life. I picked up my laptop and drafted a mission statement. This was what I wrote –

"Claude M. Bristol, the Author of ‘THE MAGIC OF BELIEVING’ says – “Every person is the creation of himself. The image of his own thinking and believing. As individuals think and believe, so they are.” We believe that and so we work closely with you every step of the way to make you realise you are unique and special. We bring out the YOU in you. Because inside you is who you really are. And when you know and believe in who you are, we will present you to a world waiting eagerly to receive you. Whether it is to an individual, a company or a country, our promise is the same – We will ReCreate You from the inside out!"

I did not know it then, but the awesome God I worship had just spoken through me to outline my purpose in life. I thought I was laying out a company, but God was laying out His eternal purpose. When I look back on that day, I get shivers. It is a constant reminder of the greatness of the God I serve.

When I got home that day, I showed it to my brother. Because he already knew and was following purpose, he immediately understood the spiritual significance of what he was seeing but he knew I had to discover and understand it myself so he wisely kept quiet and instead went before the Lord to pray out His purpose in my life.

God answered that prayer by giving me the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit awakened a desperate hunger for MORE in me. He then led me to a church where I had my Christian Discipleship training. That was when I began to understand and see clearly that I did not just exist, I had to be for a reason. It was then God brought back into my life a friend from secondary school; she reminded me of my school days stories and reawakened in me the fire of writing. All our conversations started and ended with ‘Rayo, are you writing?’ So I started writing again.

Almost two years passed and then one day while reading a book on purpose, I sat up and asked the Holy Spirit what exactly is my purpose in life? He asked me in return, what agitates me the most, what could bring out the most passion in me and I replied, ‘people not being fulfilled’. My wonderful friend, the Holy Spirit said, ‘That is your purpose’. I wondered how that could be my purpose and He replied in a wonderful way. Less than three days later, I bumped into my brother’s old laptop and I saw the power point presentation I had done of my ‘company’s’ mission statement, two years earlier. Reading through it, it suddenly hit me like a gale – MY PURPOE WAS TO HELP PEOPLE DISCOVER THEIR PURPOSE!

Those words I wrote were an answer to God’s need for men and women who would discover and walk in their purpose and reclaim back the earth for Him. I am called to work in partnership with God to open the eyes of His select to their divine calling so they can be the solution to the earth’s many issues – “for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God” - Rom 8:19.

I am to help people discover WHO and WHAT and WHY they are. To awaken in them the question, ‘who am I? Why do I exist? What is life all about?’ And then, to help them answer those questions. That is my calling. FOR THIS PURPOSE WAS I BORN!

To be contd . . . . . . . . .

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