Created for Purpose: Answering the Common Question, “What Am I Here For?”

Number Three in the Created For Series: Purpose

CREATED for PURPOSE

Answering the Common Question,

What Am I Here For?

Robert B. Shaw, Jr.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Robert B. Shaw, Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Version of the Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, 1981, unless otherwise noted.

The New International Version (NIV) of the Bible used is the NIV Study Bible, tenth anniversary edition, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995.

The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible used is published by Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts, 2006.

The New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible used is the NLT Life Recovery Bible, published by Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois, 1998.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-6405-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6406-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6441-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014922543

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/22/2024

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1Defining Purpose

Chapter 2God’s Purpose for Us

Chapter 3Purpose: Relationship with God—Commandments One and Two

Chapter 4Purpose: Sabbath Rest—Commandment Three

Chapter 5Purpose: Relationship with One Another—Commandments

Five through Ten

Chapter 6A Purpose with a Promise: Commandment Four

Chapter 7Purpose Busters: Weapons of Satan

Chapter 8Knowing Our Passions, Temperaments, and Gifts

Chapter 9Discovering and Restoring Purpose

AppendixTemperament Test

References

About the Author

Foreword

T he news media often describes the events of the day in terms of our conflicts, confusion and chaos. Long ago someone observed that a meaningless universe becomes a mean one. The quest for meaning and purpose is as old as man. Dr. Shaw’s book, Created for Purpose , makes a major contribution in bringing meaning, light and insight into the arena of human complexity. The age old question of who are we, how did we get here, why are we here and where are we headed are tackled with clarity and sophistication. Dr. Shaw addresses our core longings by going to the heart of life’s most meaningful questions and without bumper sticker catch phrases or political correctness. Dr. Shaw utilizes his range of experience in education, psychology, sociology and theology to address life’s issues of self-discovery, relationships, significance and fulfillment.

Men have attempted, through our finite understanding, to address how we came into being and the meaning of our existence. Varying views have emerged over time:

…we exist by random chance

…we are victims of inadequate parenting thus

…we are underdeveloped children

…we are only who we say we are

…we are by-products of socialization

…we are shaped primarily by our environment

Dr. Shaw departs from man’s theories and utilizes rather the designer’s manual. Buy an automobile, build a home, install a computer system or assemble your children’s Christmas gifts and you find out quickly consulting the original architect, designer and his manual is essential. Created for Purpose will make a deposit of meaning, purpose, destiny and legacy to your understanding of who you are, what you are designed to do, and the world you live in. This book is an inspirational, insightful, instructional, and a must read for everyone seeking greater meaning and enduring fulfillment.

Finally, on a personal level, I have known Bob for more than twenty years as:

•As husband, father and grandfather to his family

•Administrator and minister

•Associate Pastor and Elder

•Clinician and Counselor

•Teacher and Professor

•Friend and Confidant

Today he is emerging as an important writer and author called to help each of us fulfill our God-given purpose and thus reach our best and highest self!

Rev. David A Longobardo

Pastor, Educator, International Speaker and Leader Developer for Over 35 Years;

A Pastor to Pastors

Currently, Pastor Emeritus

World Vision International Christian Center (WVICC)

Greensboro, North Carolina

Introduction

C ore longings are meant to draw us into God’s embrace so that we can find rest and contentment. They were created by God to be met by God. I want to acknowledge Dr. Terry Wardle and Dr. Ann Halley of Ashland Theological Seminary for their teachings regarding core longings and for their ministries related to inner healing and formational counseling.

One of our core longings is the desire to know our purpose. These longings are universal, transcending age, gender, ethnic background, and culture. This book is the third in a series, Created For, which discusses the six core longings of every human being:

•significance

•safety (covering)

•purpose

•understanding

•belonging

•love

Peace and contentment occur when we feel our longings are being met. When God created Adam and Eve He placed within them certain undeniable longings meant to be fulfilled in Him, with Him and through Him (Wardle 2005, 64). When our core longings are not met, we usually try to meet them on our own. That is when we often get into trouble. Underneath every problem there is always an unfulfilled desire (Laaser 2008, 41).

Over the centuries, in most cultures, questions related to one’s purpose were perhaps easier to answer than in our day and age. Early in human history, the family was the nurturing ground for launching young people into their purpose. A person’s vocation and role in the community were often seen as givens and depended upon what the person’s parents did, especially the father, or what the community needed at the time.

In most cases, a woman’s choices were to be a mother, to work on a farm, to be a homemaker, a nurse, a seamstress, or a teacher. For men, the choices were factory worker, farmer, military warrior, construction worker, physician, salesman, business owner, or political leader. In other cultures, women performed child care, farming, and meal preparation. The men would be hunters, lumberjacks, warriors, tribal leaders, and workers who would build homes, temples, and gathering places for their communities. Because the choices were few, finding one’s purpose was not difficult.

Today, the choices are seemingly endless, making the discovery of purpose more confusing and difficult. Or so it seems. But it is not only the countless choices that make finding our purpose tougher. The more we distance ourselves from God and His standards, the more we become confused, lost, and desperate. We can select from so much more of what the world offers. As a result, we often choose what is pragmatic but not fulfilling. We choose what will bring us the most income, which is indeed important, but at the expense of our passions and dreams—if we even know what those are.

More and more people live their lives for momentary pleasure rather than for sustained peace and contentment. People are seeking happiness when what they really want is peace and contentment. Happiness is based upon circumstances that bring pleasure and, as such, come and go. Peace and contentment come from within and are developed through a sense of purpose and the fulfillment of that purpose.

The desire for purpose is manifested by the pursuit of happiness and by answering the question, What am I here for? or What am I supposed to do with my life? Someone who says, I just want to be happy, is often seeking peace and contentment. Happiness is situational and fleeting, while peace and contentment are more about our core longings being satisfied and are more sustaining. We can experience peace and contentment when we know our longings are being met, and those longings include our purpose.

Our true sense of purpose begins with a relationship with God. This may sound simplistic, but the idea is profound and life-changing. The more we distance ourselves from God, the less we know ourselves and the more baffled we are. The less we seek relationship with God, the more we find ourselves without a direction in life. This is true of Christians as well. In fact, of all people on earth Christians should have the clearest picture of their destiny. Christians and non-Christians alike long to know their purpose, and it begins with declaring that Jesus is not only our Savior, but Lord of our life.

God is our creator, and as our creator, He knows what is best for us and what His plans are for us. To find our true purpose, all of us need to know God and to hear from Him what His intentions are. Admittedly, this is easier said than done much of the time. Hearing from God is one of the most, if not the most, challenging aspects of our Christian faith. Discovering what He expects of us is essentially a lifelong journey.

However, we can know God’s specific purpose for our lives. We learn this ultimately through His Word. Most Christians today are primarily New Testament-oriented. As a result, we miss so much of God’s story and of His desires for humanity. The New Testament builds upon what God said in the Old Testament and reveals more clearly His nature and His plan in the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament provides a framework for God’s nature and our purpose as human beings. I am specifically referring to the first few chapters of Genesis and to a fresh look at the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are more than just the beginning of the Law. They provide a revealing sense for our purpose, as God has designed it for us. Our purpose is two fold: to glorify God and be a blessing to our fellow man. There are many ways these two dynamics are manifested, which will be spelled out in this book. The commandments spawn the many ways of life that can develop into our purpose. It is not by accident that we have lost our way and struggle with our purpose in life as we have distanced ourselves from the commandments that God used to establish His ways for His people. My prayer is that this series, and this book, will help position us for a discovery of that purpose.

Our loving heavenly Father desires to reveal what He has in store for us. He is a God who gives! He does not desire to withhold but to protect, to guide, and to provide! In forbidding us from eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God sought to protect us. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7). Taking from the forbidden tree implies that man knows better than God and that we can decide for ourselves what is best for us. We do have a role, but our role in the discovery process is first to be in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Believing in God and knowing about Him are good, but knowing God and experiencing Him are essential to discovering how fulfill our desires.

I pray that the Lord will minister to you as you read this book and that He will reveal the direction you seek for your life. It is vital to know that our purpose begins with a relationship with Jesus, the lover of our souls. He desires that we take from the Tree of Life, and not from the tree that leads to death. His redeeming power can reveal our direction and our purpose.

Jesus’ invitation to His disciples to follow me (Matt. 4:19–20; 16:24) remains crucial to discovering our purpose today. He delights in us, and His good pleasure is to guide us to our calling. But do we seek to please the Lord with our lives and with the choices we make? Or do we seek to please only ourselves? How we answer these questions determines whether we are fulfilling our purpose or pursuing things that will leave us less than satisfied and even in distress. It is imperative that we seek to please the Lord, align ourselves with Him, and follow hard after God. In our day and age, we must follow Him without fail, since the forces of the world and the Evil One are growing stronger. It takes strength and courage to surrender to God and to fulfill our purpose.

Tap into your dream, align it with the Lord Jesus, allow Him to adjust it if need be, and then watch Him empower you! Surrender to His still, small voice as you take this journey, and you may be surprised and energized by His touch.

CHAPTER 1

Defining Purpose

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

—Eph. 2:10

Science cannot decide the purpose of life; we need philosophy or religion for that.

—Berger, 2011, 7

M y wife once received a package containing a strange item. It was metal, measured about eight inches long, was wavy and curvy, and had a hole at one end. When she showed it to me, I asked what is was. She said she didn’t know. My wife was hoping I knew.

We asked a few other people if they knew what the item was, but no one had ever seen anything like it before. We then started taking guesses from our family and friends. We made a list with people’s names and their guesses as to what this mystery item was. One person believed it was a shoe horn. Another thought it was a bottle cap opener, even though the hole was too large to fit most bottle caps. We made the guessing fun and sweetened the pot by offering five dollars for the correct answer.

We had an item, and no one knew its purpose. It sat on our kitchen counter for weeks, not being used for anything. One member of my family suggested we give it to Goodwill, since we surely could not use it. But would the Goodwill staff know the purpose of the item? After a while, my wife finally relented and asked her sister, who had sent the item to us. My sister-in-law revealed to us what the object was and expressed surprise that no one had seen such a thing before. Once we all knew and had chuckled about the uniqueness of the item, most of us said, Of course. That makes perfect sense. Its purpose was to slip over the top of a wine bottle, holding the bottle in place while the cork was removed.

Consider the progressive thinking in our little dilemma. We had an item that none of us had seen before, and we didn’t know its purpose. We then asked others to help us identify the item and its purpose. No one else