We are gathered under the grace of God, trusting in Him alone, having no confidence in our own abilities or in the flesh. As we open our hearts to the Word of God, let us consider what Christ truly calls us to in life. Our focus today is The Jesus’ Theory.
Let us open our Bibles to Matthew 11:28-29: “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take ye my yoke upon you and learn of me for I’m meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your soul.”
The inspiration for this theory came from a virtual conference where a young man in his early 20s asked a profound question: “How do I realize my purpose early in life so that on my deathbed I will feel ready, and the only thing I will be sad about is separation from loved ones?” The conference anchor noted that this young man was far ahead of his peers in thinking, as most people in that age bracket are not thinking about the deathbed. The anchor concluded that such individuals “always leave an impact in this world.”
When a man is born, the things that make him grow—to talk, to walk, to display necessary life functions—are already programmed within. Similarly, the Bible teaches that all we need that pertains to godliness has already been given to us. We might not currently look like we will attain the stature of a perfect man, but it is already in us. All we must do is remain under the “sun of God,” which is the word of God, and those attributes will emerge.
The Curve of Human Experience
As we move through life, our thinking evolves.
- First Decade: You are generally not conscious of your environment or making choices; things just happen to you.
- Second Decade (Teenage Years/Early 20s): You start to believe you know what you are doing and can operate without guidance. This stage is often synonymous with foolishness, as the Bible notes that “foolishness is bound in the heart of the child” (Proverbs 22). To save yourself from doing things you will later regret as foolish, you must think by the Word of God, which grants the wisdom of the ancient.
- Third Decade (Late 20s/Early 30s): A man begins to explore, seeking a path and a value system. They ask, “Who am I? What am I here to do?” During this time, the focus is heavily on external approval—what colleagues or society think of your achievements.
- Fourth Decade (The Awakening): The questions shift internally: “What have I done so far?” and “Am I happy with myself?” This is a period of awakening where there is a call for essence and fulfillment of purpose. Man realizes there is a transcendent, intangible part of himself—something above that controls him.
We must reject the idea of believing only what we can physically see. Even if your anatomy were fully examined, your mind cannot be seen, yet the invisible mind controls the visible body. The Bible confirms this: “The things that we cannot see are eternal, but the things that we can see are temporal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Our physical eyes are limited lenses. Just as Elisha had to pray for Gehazi’s eyes to be opened to see the company of angels surrounding them, we need an enhanced vision to see things from a higher perspective.
The Gentile Way vs. The Jesus’s Theory
Psychologists have long studied life to understand its meaning. One well-known figure, Abraham Maslow, attempted to define the satisfaction of life through five stages.
The Gentile Way (Maslow’s Theory)
Maslow’s theory postulates that man starts at the bottom of the pyramid, seeking to satisfy his physiological needs first (basic necessities like food and shelter). Once those are met, he moves to the next level: safety and security. Then he seeks love and belonging, and finally, Esteem (the respect of others, wanting to be unique). The final, topmost level is the pinnacle of purpose, experience, and meaning.
The implication of the Gentile Way is problematic:
- People get stuck in one level and do not move to the next until they satisfy the current one.
- Often, people never achieve full physiological satisfaction or security.
- They define the essence of their life by their current level, leading to depression or suicide because they have not reached the pinnacle of purpose. Only maybe 1% of humans make it to the pinnacle through this method.
The Jesus’s Theory (The Higher Perspective)
Christ calls us to an entirely different path. The Jesus’ Theory instructs us to start your life from the pinnacle.
The first thing you should be looking for in life is purpose: Why am I here? What am I here to do?. This approach provides a higher perspective.
We are invited to this higher path, found in Matthew 6:33.
This higher perspective is like flying in an airplane: When you are on the ground, buildings and cars look huge. But as the plane goes higher, those same things shrink in size and eventually seem nonexistent. The problems are still there, but your perspective has changed. Your problems do not seem as big or as deep as they do to those starting from the bottom.
When you start with purpose, your life has meaning, and those other concerns (physiological needs, safety, esteem) will be added onto you.
Chasing the lower levels—covetousness and abundance—is contrary to what Jesus taught, as “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). While Jesus certainly believes in planning (Luke 14:28, 31), if you don’t settle the question of purpose, you will not see the meaning of your life, and you will continue to live a “low life” subject to depression and self-harm.
Examples of Living Life on Purpose
Starting from the pinnacle means having an assignment and a conviction that your life is meant to be fulfilled.
Joseph: Early Discovery, Strong Conviction
Joseph discovered his purpose early, historians suggesting around age 17. He understood he was unique and shared his dreams of future fulfillment, even when faced with immediate rejection from his brothers.
Distractors will always come; often, the very people who should benefit from the gift God put in you are the ones the devil uses to try to distract you. Joseph overcame his brothers’ attempts to distract him. Later, in Egypt, Potiphar’s wife was not simply seeking an affair; she was attempting to introduce Joseph to “another life,” a different pathway, distracting him from his God-given purpose. Do not let anyone distract you from your purpose.
David: The Unwavering Cause
The same pattern happened to David. When he came to the battlefield and questioned Goliath’s defiance of the armies of the living God, his eldest brother, Eliab, became angry, asking, “Why camest thou hither?” and accusing him of pride and roughness of heart. Eliab was essentially telling David he was “too little to achieve [his] purpose.” David persisted, asking, “What have I now done? Is there a cause? Is there not a cause?” He kept asking others until his words reached Saul, demonstrating that the fire inside his chest compelled him to achieve his purpose.
Purpose is Not Limited by Age or Profession
- Moses is an example of someone who did not discover his purpose until he was 80 years old when he saw the pillar of fire, yet his purpose remained highly significant.
- Luke was a successful physician (Luke 4:14), yet he fulfilled his God-given purpose by documenting the book of Acts.
- Paul was a doctor of the law and a successful tent maker throughout his missionary life, but he fulfilled his purpose.
Seeking purpose first does not mean you should be lazy or lack a plan; rather, you should be the best at what you do. But your focus is not on seeking bread and temporary comforts; your life has meaning from the beginning, and those other things follow.
The Call to the Journey
Every believer has an overarching purpose: Christ has called us to be witnesses of his truth, mercy, and grace, introducing him to another person.
Beyond that, each person has an individual purpose—a fire in your bosom. This is that thing that keeps disturbing you, that you know for sure that if you don’t achieve it, you will feel very unfulfilled. Why don’t you do something about it?.
We are called to “come up hither” (Revelation). Christ wants you to start your life from the place of purpose.
If you have not accepted Christ and taken His name in water baptism, you have not even started the journey of purpose. You are still following the Abraham Maslow/Gentile way. Those who have been baptized into Christ have “put on Christ,” starting from that higher perspective.
If you have started the journey of purpose but have allowed distractors or the appeal of sin to water it down, the call today is to pick it up again. There is a reason you are still breathing.
Let us pray for an enhanced vision, that we may be sensitive to the purpose laid in our hearts, giving us the heart of David and Joseph to be strong and move in the direction God wants, discharging the purpose for which we have been created. We look to the eternal things, not the temporal.