How to Obey God’s Purpose for Your Life

To obey God’s purpose for your life, you have choices before you and truths to help you stand. Which of these will you choose? Read on for some encouragement by Tinashe Jaricha from Our God Is with Us.

When it comes to movies and books, we all love the story of the underdog who rises to become the hero. At first, they are scared, unknown and unsure of themselves. Then someone recognizes the talent they have inside and helps them see it too. And with time the underdog becomes the hero, the leader and our favorite character. 

There’s a lot of stories like that in the Bible. Someone starts off being the underdog. Then they have an encounter with God and they become the hero and leader. One of those people is Moses. Most of us can definitely relate to Him! 

Moses Didn’t Obey God’s Purpose Right Away

In Exodus 3, God met with Moses while he was leading the flock of his father-in-law in Horeb. Moses was in exile at that point after having committed a murder in Egypt. Suddenly God’s angel appeared to him from a burning bush. Then God appeared and told Moses that He wanted to send him to Pharaoh to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Moses first answer is in Exodus 3:11 (NKJV):

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

God assures Moses that He would be with Him. God knew that Moses was afraid. 

Moses was still scared. So, he proceeded with more questions: 

• When the Israelites would ask who sent Him, what would He say?
• What would he say if people didn’t believe God had spoken to him? 

So, God patiently gave Moses all the signs and miracles that should have made him believe and obey God’s command. Besides the burning bush which was not consumed, turning Moses rod into a snake, then back into a rod and his hand having leprous and being healed again—still Moses was scared.

Moses still had two more ‘excuses’ for refusing the instruction from God: 

Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Exodus 4: 10 (NKJV)

But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” Exodus 4:13 (NKJV)

Moses was clear—he wasn’t good enough and he thought there was someone better God could use for this assignment. 

I Can Relate To Moses One Thousand Percent!

Being an African woman, now based in the Middle East, when God asked me to start a blog ministry I had my doubts. While l was initially excited, that quickly died down. 

I had my ‘excuses’…

• Lord, I’m not even fluent in English, it’s not my first language 
• I’m disadvantaged because of where l come from, my background and even where l live now
• I don’t have a degree in Journalism or English Literature. I never thought l could be a writer, ever
• I’m not a perfect Christian, what can l share when I’m still learning. There’s still so much l don’t know! 

Three words to sum it all up—I was scared!

But God’s instruction has been clear. This is what He will have me do. All my excuses are nothing in comparison with God’s greater purpose for my life. And just like Moses, I’ve chosen to obey Him and not listen to my excuses. There’s still moments that I doubt myself and my abilities. 

5 Truths to Obey God’s Purpose

But these are the truths l hold on to: 

• Everything I do for God’s glory, He will bless 
• God is faithful 
• It’s not about me, it’s about God’s glory and His purpose for my life 
• The hero in the kingdom of God is God himself. We are his clay and He is the potter. He is the King. We are here to serve Him.
• It’s not about me, it’s about God 

I want to encourage you to obey God’s call upon your life. God may be speaking to you or has spoken to you to do something in Your life for His purpose and glory. 

It doesn’t need to be starting a blog or ministry. It could be just sharing your testimony with a friend, colleague or neighbor. It could be praying for someone who’s sick—in the moment (not later). Sometimes it’s playing a more active role in our local churches. We are the ambassadors of God; He is always asking us to do something. 

Yet the devil will come to us with many doubts and deception. He will tell us that we’re not good enough and there’s someone better. But we get to choose. 

These Are Your Choices

We get to choose:

• Listening to the devil or believing God’s word and who He says we are 
• God’s truths or the devil’s lies 
• The devil’s ploys or God’s powerful promises
• A life of obedience to God or a life of regret 
• God’s purpose for our lives or our own plan which will not succeed 
• Giving our fear to God and walking in His peace or giving in to the fear

If we go back to the story of Moses, he did end up doing what God asked him to do. The journey from Egypt to Canaan wasn’t an easy one but he chose to obey God’s purpose for his life. Even for us today, life with God will not be easy. But God promises to be there with us every step of the way. He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

Dear friend, I pray that we would choose well, choose wisely and choose to obey the purpose of God for our lives. 

RELATED: Live Empowered: the Holy Spirit Moves through Us

What part of obeying God’s purpose do you struggle with in your life?

Tinashe Jaricha is a child of God, saved by His amazing grace. She’s married to her high school sweetheart and blessed with two sweet princesses. Her passion is to encourage women and point them to the only person who can satisfy their deepest longing for real love, joy and peace. That person is Jesus Christ, our ever present Saviour. Join her today!