Joy to the world! It’s definitely Showtime. The time has come to show the world our purpose. And my whole purpose for being in this store is to get my kid a G.I. Joe with the kung fu grip and head home before my dinner time. The problem is that customer service is ridiculously slow. I mean no one seems to be able to maintain a reasonable work flow and nobody seems able to identify the problem and replace these clerks with someone competent. The world is showing me that my purpose is not being fulfilled here. On the other hand, maybe I’m showing the world that my purpose is being ignored – by me.
Maybe, in this short-staffed world, that clerk is just one joyful smile away from a complete meltdown. Maybe my impatience is just the thing to push her or him over the edge. Maybe my real purpose is to spread a kind word with the person in front of me and the person behind me. Maybe my purpose is to be the calming agent. Maybe my reason for being in this situation is to share the love and joy of God with others who need it, not the least of whom is the clerk who’s serving double-overtime.
Pursuing things for myself or family, independent of God and His sole purpose for having me in this store, only gets me things that will eventually make it to the trash heap, including – dare I speak it – my treasured G. I. Joe. Nothing of the earth can or will last forever. And, since fleeting joy comes from pursuing temporary things, it’s only reasonable to accept the fact that joy which lasts and sustains us comes from pursuing our everlasting purpose. To be blunt, purpose dependent on self is trash. The good news is that purpose dependent on God is eternal. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s Showtime. It’s time to show the world that we’ve allowed God to transform our formerly treasured coal into diamonds.
Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. Matthew 6:19-21 The Message
