PURPOSE
25th Mar 2026
Some years ago, I was involved in a ministry for church leaders called Hyde Leaders Weeks. The time had come to bring them to an end. As the final weeks approached, I kept being asked the question, “What are you going to do when the Leaders Weeks have finished?”
This was quite unsettling. When we made the decision, I was at peace, convinced we were doing the right thing, but now my confidence was being shaken. “What am I going to do?” I kept wondering.
A short while later, I was reading my daily Bible passage in Ephesians 2, and when I reached verse 10, it felt like a burst of light. It states, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
So the next time the question arose about what was ahead of me, I answered, “What am I going to do? I’m going to do the good works that God has prepared in advance for me to do.” This sometimes prompted strange looks! I would then explain how this scripture had set me free to be completely relaxed about the future.
God was true to his word. Invitations kept coming, asking me to speak at conferences and to take church weekends around the UK and in various places like Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy.
Lack of purpose is a major issue in today’s world, it is a cause of depression in young people, and, as the years progress and we reach retirement age, we can find ourselves wondering whether we have real purpose and value in our lives.
This can become an attack from the enemy; it can rob us of peace and purpose. We need to grasp the promise in that key verse in Ephesians and ask God, “What are the good works that you have prepared for me?” He will reveal them to you. It may not seem significant in the world’s eyes, but as Jesus said, “And if anyone gives a cup of cold water to one of these disciples … he will certainly not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)
John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.”
Don’t let the enemy rob you of your God-ordained purpose!
by Charles Sibthorpe
