Life gets hectic and I start to live by my lists. The notes app on my phone dictates what is important to remember on certain days, shopping lists, and ideas for projects. I want to fulfill my purpose, not let anyone down, and operate in an organized way in how I do my job, mother, manage my house, and serve my church.
When I take a moment to evaluate my life, I am often muddled and sometimes feel confused regarding my purpose when I hurry from thing to thing. Somewhere in the frantic rush to get my 6-year-old to swim lessons and throwing dinner in the crock-pot, something very important falls through the cracks. Since it doesn’t have a deadline or calendar date attached to it, I lose sight of one of my main reasons for existence: praise.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9).
“That you may”—those three little words teem with purpose. I am part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people belonging to God. Not so I can lead a ministry or raise the most well-rounded children or that people will see me and think: “That girl has got it together.” No, none of those things are put forth as my purpose in this verse. I am His so that I “may proclaim the excellencies of Him.” It is as simple as that.
Centering my heart on how He has freed me, rescued me from the dominion of darkness, and now leads me in the way everlasting, helps to calm the chaos. What is truly important seems to come to the forefront and the people-pleasing, unimportant, and the silly falls away when I intentionally praise my God and my Savior.
