GOING FOR THE GREATER PURPOSE

Do you truly believe that God is real and powerfully at work today in our generation? Acts 13:36 says, “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.” To live each day with a greater purpose, there are three things we need to remember.

Serve God’s Purpose

Like David, we are called to live for God’s purpose—to bring people into a saving relationship with Him through Jesus and to make disciples. To serve God’s purpose is powerfully demonstrated in the life of Dr. Bekele Shanko, CRU's Vice President for Global Missions. He grew up in a remote Ethiopian village where there were no Christians. The village was so deeply involved in witchcraft and spiritual darkness that he lost twelve of his siblings due to failed rituals.

His father, once a servant to a witch doctor, encountered God through a vision of angels and surrendered to Jesus after hearing the Gospel from two new believers. This transformed their family and led to the entire village coming to Christ. Dr. Bekele, who came to Christ at the age of five, became a preacher at 12 years old, and later a national and global leader for CRU – bringing the gospel to millions across Africa and beyond.

My Generation

Just as David served his generation, God is calling you to trust Him for bold, impossible things in your generation. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please God. There are 5.5 billion unreached people today. What will you do to reach them? How will you serve your generation and make an impact today? Like Dr. Bekele, who answered God’s call to full-time missions, you can make an impact, too. The same God who worked in Dr. Bekele’s village is at work in your family, workplace, communities, and beyond.

Until I Fall Asleep

In John 9:4, Jesus tells us that as long as it is day, we must do God’s work. Life is short, and one day, we will all “fall asleep.” Until then, we are called to live with urgency and purpose, asking God to teach us to number our days (Psalm 90:12), because our lives are fleeting (Psalm 39:4). Moses, David, Esther, Ruth, and Nehemiah are just some examples of men and women in the Bible who lived with purpose and intentionality. Nehemiah prayed for favor and success before rebuilding a city (Nehemiah 1:11), while Esther said yes to God for “such a time as this”. So should we.

Like these men and women of faith, we too must pray, obey, and step into God’s assignments. What are you doing today to serve God’s purpose before your time is up?