What's your purpose?

For centuries mankind has struggled with one overwhelming question. "What is the meaning of life?" While I don't have the answer, that is a question that I do want you to explore. This question has crossed my twice in the last week. Though I've thought about it plenty of times before, the question really hit me hard today.

I was sitting in a district wide teacher's meeting with our district superintendent. The superintendent was talking about teaching without fear and with purpose. That's when he said, " You should be willing to die for this [teaching].  If you aren't willing to die for this, maybe you should consider something that you are willing to die for."
  That really struck a nerve because just a week earlier I heard the actor Will Smith say, "What makes me good at this job is not how smart I am or how well I act. What makes me good is that I am willing to die for every role that I play."

How many living, human beings, on earth right now, can say they have found a purpose that they are willing to die for?  How many living human beings can say  they are living out their purpose daily?

I believe that it is within man's innate being to long for purpose, for a sense of belonging. This is more commonly known as the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately for many of us (myself included) we trade in our pursuit of happiness, for instant gratification. Media and peer pressure persuades us to think that we should want the "norm". In America, that norm is this nice beautiful house, on a quiet street, with plenty of money to support your three kids and beautiful wife.

But what if your purpose doesn't fit "the norm"? What then? 

Before I give you my opinion I want you to think about something. Have you ever given a gift? Let's say at Christmas or a birthday. Remember how much time you spent in line on Black Friday just to get your child or loved one that special gift? Think about their reaction when they opened that present. Now remember how you felt when they absolutely loved that present YOU gave them?

What if you could have the feeling daily? What if you could give a gift daily? I believe God has placed each one of us on the planet to give a gift.... DAILY. We all have our special purpose. We have needs that others can fulfill and they have needs we can fulfill.  So what if it's not lucrative? So what if it's dangerous? So what?  You have a purpose. And if you think about it, deep down inside you have a purpose that you are willing to die for.  The question remains: Are you willing to give up "the norm"? Is the sacrifice really worth it?

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Some of the most admired people throughout the history of the world went through suffering or death for what they believe in. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, United States Army,  Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln,  Jesus Christ are some of the few greats. There millions others who have done the same. You can make it "millions and one".

I encourage you, don't live just to die. Live to love. Live with purpose. Live to give a gift.

-Dirty Lens