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"Purpose-driven"...but whose purpose?

This week, I engaged in a team-building activity with some fellow committee members. We actually filled out some personality assessments, and it was just as enlightening as it was entertaining, as such things often are. It could not have been a more timely exercise, given the fact that I had been pondering my purpose that morning, and how it matched or clashed with my lifestyle and many commitments.

Between gulps of coffee, and handfuls of vitamins and stomach remedies, I rushed to cover dark circles and brush my long hair (as in, long overdue for a decent haircut) into a presentable state. Between wardrobe changes, and checking my blood pressure (insert frowney face), I bypassed the scales and checked off a list of to-do's that were no less urgent than my dog's whimpering to be let outside...a typical empty-nest morning for me, now.

As I looked over my still half-unchecked to-do list that evening, I wondered if it was any more than that, in some cases. What is this endless whirlwind of activity for? (pardon the grammatical error, but the crudely constructed phrase seemed to better suit the desperation of the question...)

Last evening, I remarked to my husband, "I'm tired! Getting up at 4 am and running all day doesn't really suit me these days..."  "And I do it every day," he added, with a sigh. "Yes," I replied, "but you're a truck, and I'm a mini-cooper. I'm not designed for this." We laughed, but the jest rang true.

Ask yourself:  Am I driven by my passion or by pressure? Am I fulfilling my purpose, or just fulfilling a daily, rolling serious of to-do lists?

When we force ourselves to live outside our purposes, we create our own stress, anxiety, and a myriad of other emotional and physical consequences that crush our inspiration and inhibit our ability to do what we were designed to do. It's like squeezing into a pair of jeans that are WAY to small, then wondering why we are uncomfortable, breathless, irritable, and unable to carry out our daily mission because we simply can't move. Don't fall into the flawed philosophy of forcing yourself to into roles and responsibilities that don't line up with your purpose: "If it zips, it fits!" Not true!

Proverbs 19:21
You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

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