The Plumbline

But you are a chosen people, set aside to be a royal order of priests, a holy nation, God’s own; so that you may proclaim the wondrous acts of the One who called you out of inky darkness into shimmering light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received it. (I Peter 2:9-10) Chosen - selected from several, sometimes for the uniqueness of the object, but always because the one choosing wants to make that which is chosen their own. We are the object of his desire - selected specifically because there is something in each of us which he uniquely desires and has "use for" in his Kingdom. The specific purpose God has in mind for you may differ from what he has in mind for me, but as long as we understand clearly that he has selected us BECAUSE he has a purpose for each of, then we are on the same path! Our purpose? One purpose that is NOT unique to each of us is that of loving him with all our hearts, soul

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:6-7) What is your purpose in life? If you are like me, you spent quite a bit of time in your youth and young adult life just trying to figure that one out. Some of you may not even have a clue yet! It is only after we understand our purpose in Jesus that we can begin to live a meaningful life. Our main purpose in life is to follow Christ with our whole hearts - allowing him to be the central part of our lives. All the other 'stuff' we pursue as some form of 'purpose' in our lives really is an outflow of his grace in our lives. As this chapter unfolds, we find the reminder: "and the peace of God, which surpasses all u