Don't Let Your Preference Overshadow Your Purpose

(Mark 10:17-22) "...And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions..." This particular story is telling about a very rich man who has learned & practice many of the Mosaic laws ever since he was a young boy. When Jesus was nearby, he ran to Jesus & asked Him about getting into heaven & how much more do he have to do to make that happen. Jesus finally told him to literally give up everything that he possess & give to the poor & less fortunate & then be one of His followers. Apparently, the rich man was saddened because he had too much to give up. The rich man thought that he had this "going to heaven" thing down pat, but Jesus made him realize there's no "short cuts" & no ways of comfort to achieve inheriting eternal life. Before we were brought into this world, God had ordained us to serve a certain purpose to His will. When we are first born, our purpose is to learn how to use our external & internal organs in order to be able to live. As we live & go through growth episodes that are sometimes embarrassing, painful, or inadequate but we also develop our own thoughts & opinions about ourselves & what is around us. The good thing about God is that He always seem to get us prepared for the next stage of growth. When we have reached a certain stage of growth, we are summoned to certain responsibilities to yet prepare us for future growth stages as in adolescent(learning how to survive & take care of ourselves) to adulthood. When it comes to the purpose towards God's perfect will, we are still learning & being prepared for the next stage of Spiritual growth...yes, I'm going there now!! Just like it was mentioned earlier in this posting about growth stages, we also go through Spiritual growth stages as well. We can be very proficient in the material responsibilities, but yet not as proficient on our Spiritual responsibilities. And because we all are all born to develop our own ideas & comforts, we allow these ideas to separate us from our purpose towards the will of God. What is our purpose in God's will? The Bible gives many examples of what our purpose is, but I believe the Proverbs 3:1-35 says it all in a nutshell. Proverbs 3:5-12 gives an absolute direct answer to our purpose: "...Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth..." One thing to understand is that we cannot allow our ideas, opinions, & comforts manipulate or bend our purpose towards God's will for our own vanity. We must open ourselves up to Him so that He can guide us into our divine destiny within His will. It doesn't matter if it's traditional or contemporary, God's will be done & it's the only "idea" that will stand solid through the test of time. Selah. May God shed light upon those who reads this...even me! Know God, know yourself. Terrance