Is it possible for a driver to just drive without a destination? Or sit in the car and begin to turn steering without acceleration or just accelerate without applying brakes and turning steering? Hence I will say without acceleration, destination is not just possible but unimaginable and without brakes and steering crash will be inevitable. Having this at the back of our minds therefore, it is essential we ask ourselves this very significant question: What is your accelerator? I.e. who (or what) is behind that force that propels you forward in life?
Where are you heading to? (Your destination) i.e. why you are in the car (world) are you just driving like you are taking a stroll or you are seriously heading somewhere? (Doing the fathers work). Who is your brake and your steering? I.e. who controls your activities, and gives you direction and inspiration in life, when to stop and when to move forward, when to speed and where to slow down?
Brethren I ask again, what is driving your life? What compels you to get up in the morning when you are tired of the struggle? What helps you to see the struggle as a road to success rather than the road to nowhere even when you are not making money or been recognized.
If you have God as your driver then you are unlikely to wear out, slow down or give up in life. For without God a man will definitely miss his way. (No direction).
The essence of this write up is to steer the fire in us to encourage and challenge us to re evaluate what is driving our lives.
Now let us look at the meaning of drive
Drive according to psychology dictionary, is an innate biologically determined urge to attain a goal or satisfy a need. According to Google dictionary, drive means to propel or carry along by force in a specified direction.
According to these definitions, drive is a force that pushes us to achieve or attain a particular goal. Now the question is; does this drive push you to achieve something that will glorify God or to satisfy desires of the flesh?
Let’s take a brief look at some of the things that drive people in life.
Materialism… (Desire to acquire)
This can only bring temporal happiness because they don’t change, and because human wants cannot be completely satisfied we become bored then we want bigger, better, and newer version leading to stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, fatigue and internal conflicts. This same wealth we have worked tirelessly for can be lost over night through ways we cannot explain or control. Jeremiah 17:11
Most people are driven by Need for Approval…They worry so much about what people think about them. They worry about Approval by peer, approval from teachers, parents, spouses, etc. By so doing they miss Gods purpose for their lives. “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything” and I add if you don’t have a destination, anybody can decide your destination. Rick Warren wrote and I quote “those who follow the crowd get lost in it” been controlled by people is a guaranteed way to miss Gods purposes for our lives. Matthew 6:24
Therefore do not associate with them. Ephesians 5:7 ………..Stand out of the crowd and make a difference.
Other factors that drive people’s lives are
- Fear of the unknown 1st John 4:18
- Resentment and anger. Harboring bitterness against the next person that has offended us in one way or the other knowingly and unknowingly consciously and unconsciously. Job 5:2
- Wondering through life without a purpose. Genesis 4:12.
All these drives might be profitable but leads to a dead end why because it leads to unnecessary stress, unfulfilled life and unused potentials.
When you live a meaningful life, you give meaning to the lives of those around you and even far beyond. And I must say here that your life can only have meaning if you find your purpose in God.
Again Rick Warren said “without God, life has no purpose and without purpose life has no meaning without meaning life has no significance or hope.”
When you live a purposeful life,
- You begin to experience great turn around god will give you a future, a hope and an expected end. Ephesians 3:20, Jeremiah 29:11.
- You gain relevance and authority and begin to do exploit because you are aware of your kingdom responsibility (purpose).
- It simplifies your life by helping you set standard. Meaning there is no middle ground for compromise, which helps you to evaluate and reevaluate your activities and action if it is worth it or not or if God approves it or not, if it glorifies God or not.
- Purpose focuses your life without changing direction. You won’t be distracted by minor issues. It will help you to concentrate your energy. Phil 3:13.
Do you want to live a happy and fulfilled life, a life without resentment, regret and guilt? Do you just want to be a passerby or you want to leave your foot prints on the sands of times? Then be purposeful. “Finding your purpose is the only thing that has the inbuilt capacity to shoot you out of obscurity and mediocrity” (Gboyega Adedeji “Your Seven”). Brethren the greatest tragedy is not death but a life without purpose…Isaiah 49:4, Job 7:6. Reevaluate your life and make a U-turn God can begin a fresh start with you, your case is not different, He used Moses a murderer, what about Gideon?
He can also carry out his divine purpose for your life, only if you submit under His stewardship. Real security can only be gotten from personal relationship with God and aligning our purpose with His. May the Lord bless you richly even as you do so in Jesus Name.
I know the question that would be going through your mind now would be…How do I re align my life for purposeful living? Firstly you must give your life to Christ, be baptized in the Spirit, glue yourself to God and to God’s word develop yourself spiritually, inquire from the Lord through prayers acquire knowledge, more knowledge and get understanding.
