The Altar of Purpose

 

Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP)

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (who have borne testimony to the truth) let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly)  clings to and entangles us and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away (from all that will distract) to Jesus, who is the leader and the source of our faith (giving the first incentive for our belief) and is also its finisher (bringing it to maturity and perfection). He for the joy (of obtaining the prize) that was set before him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Purpose is your reason for being. Have you ever posed and asked yourself why you are here? When you are clear on why you are here, you will realize that it automatically calls on you to give up a lot.

Looking back over your life, what would you say you have given up, in the pursuit of purpose? If the pursuit of your purpose has never cost you anything, you may want to question how strongly you believe in it. It calls for sacrifice. Your Purpose is an altar on which you will sacrifice many other things. That readiness must stay with you at all times because when you least expect it, the call to sacrifice will come up. 

It’s a Marathon

Think about Marathoners. It takes long hours of consistent practice to win a marathon. It means giving up most if not all early mornings, braving the cold, sticking to a diet, creating time for recovery and a lot of practice. If you talk to Eliud Kipchoge, you will understand that marathons are not won by accident. The intentionality needed is not something everyone is ready to give. When you think about, the same principles apply in life, business, ministry, work, you name it. To experience wild success in any pursuit calls for you to make certain trade-offs without coercion.

Cristiano Ronaldo has consistently paid the price to continue functioning at the very top of the game for over two decades now. The amount of discipline needed to make this possible is out of this world. He has had to steer clear of many distractions and keep his head focused on the most important outcomes of his life. To succeed with purpose requires the same level of focus. We do not fail because we don’t know what to do. Our failure arises from the unwillingness to do it long after it stops being exciting. It arises from realizing that the price is higher than what we initially thought.

Let’s also look at some Biblical examples.

Moses gave up the temporary pleasures of Egypt in pursuit of his purpose as a deliverer. He was in line to succeed the Pharaoh. His name would have been written in Egyptian folklore. He left the soft life of the palace for the uncertainty of the jungle. He sided with the oppressed when he would have aligned with the oppressors. Hebrews 11:24-27. Going against Pharaoh in this era was akin to rebelling against the super power of the day. It was unthinkable.

Queen Esther makes a profound statement in her pursuit of purpose. She says if I perish, I perish. She got to understand that she had ascended to royal office for a noble cause. Esther 4:14. Based on this understanding, she was ready to lose her life if it came to that. In those days it was criminal to enter the King’s chambers without an express invitation from him. Her choice to risk this is the sacrifice she offered on the altar of her purpose. Thankfully she survived the challenge but she had to go all in. the survival came only after the fact.

Our anchor scripture talks about Jesus who went through humiliation, disgrace, shame and every unimaginable horror in his pursuit for the redemption of men. His purpose was so overarching and he was so focused on the outcome that he willingly gave up everything in exchange of it. Have you ever thought about the implications of following through on your purpose? Have you ever posed to think what would go wrong if you abandoned your pursuit of purpose? Jesus remained focused on his purpose and paid the ultimate price-his life. Sometimes your purpose demands your life. How ready are you to give it up?

A reward

The consolation is that when you pay the price for purpose, you get to reap the fruit in the long run. We see numerous examples in the Bible of men and women who sacrificed and got to enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice. Whenever the priests offered sacrifices, the sins of the people were forgiven, calamity was averted and favor obtained.  Jesus got to experience the purchase of souls by his sacrifice. The book of Isaiah 53 speaks about the sacrifices of Jesus and the reward it brought and continues to bring him. Healing for the sick, release for the oppressed, forgiveness for sinners. In Philippians 2 we get to understand that this sacrifice gave him a name above every other name. At this name every knee bows and every tongue confesses his lordship. His sacrifices have bought him the loyalty of the nations.   Moses was able to lead Israel out of captivity, in our days, we have seen the Kipchoges of this world win multiple marathons and accolades. They have also secured financial fortunes in the process. If you remain faithful, the fruit follows.

Travel light

The pursuit of purpose requires that you travel light. All you need to do is take a look at how athletes show up on the race track. They don’t show up in their pyjamas. They dress for the occasion. The outfits must be light and brief enough for the race. Same case for swimmers. Those who climb mountains have learnt to carry only the essentials. The pursuit of purpose is a game of elimination until you are left with just the bare essentials. If you want to succeed, you have no options but to keep shedding excess weight. I am reminded of how spaceships keep dropping their packaging as they go higher. What was necessary at the base is not needed at the final destination. The question we all need to answer is how much baggage are we carrying?

Be comfortable with no.

Warren Buffet says “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.” To succeed in the pursuit of purpose requires priority. Priority means you will have to say no to very many things. Good really is the enemy of great and you must be willing to drop even the good.

What do you need to sacrifice today in the pursuit of your purpose? What have you had to sacrifice recently and in the past in pursuit of your purpose? If your purpose costs you nothing, is it worth pursuing? Food for thought.

What’s the one thing you are going to drop in order to align more closely with your purpose? There comes a time when a choice has to be made. What choice will you make?