Your Heart, Your Purpose

1 Kings 8:17-19 NIV

"My father David had it in his heart to build the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, "You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my name. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood--he is the one who will build the temple for my Name."

What is your heart? Is it the muscle that pumps blood throughout your body? Is it center of your life, the person you love? Or is it your life's purpose, the thing you were born to do? The term "your heart, can be viewed in different ways. The muscle in the center of your body that pumps blood from your head to your toes, keeping you alive by day and by night. There is also your emotional heart, that beats for that person who is the center of your life, that person who you love. Third, there is your purposeful heart, that points to the center of your life, your purpose in life. Your reason for being. Your reason for being is as essential to your life, as the one you love, and as the beat of your heart.

Your physical heart is critical to life.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies a more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. A well-trained athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute. Your heart beats about 100,00 times in one day about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times." www.mayoclinic.org

While the physical heart is critical to life, life is more than your heartbeat. Your heart beats so that you can live. Your heart beats so that you can dream. Your heart beats so that you can love. Your heart beats so that you can worship. Your heart beats so that you can fulfill your purpose.

Your Love, Your heartbeat

When you fall in love, some may say, she or he is my heartbeat. When we say someone is your heartbeat, what are we truly saying? Have you ever been so in love that your heart feels like it skips a beat? Have you ever been in love so much so that your heart beats faster, just by being in the presence of the one you love? Have you ever been in love that your palm sweats and beads of nervous sweat appear on your brow? That is what we mean, when we say, he or she is my heartbeat. While it is great to be in love, being in love is not your purpose. The love of your life should be a help-meet in fulfilling your purpose.

Your Life's Purpose

King David had it in his heart to build the temple of the Lord God of Israel. David purposed in his heart, that this would be the crowning achievement of his life. His life's purpose. But God said to David, your purpose is fulfilled. You have led Israel these many years, you have done your part, you have done well, you have fulfilled your purpose. While God said of David, " I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, Psalm 89:20, ESV. Yet, it was Solomon God called to build His temple (1 Kings 8:17-19). Our heartbeat in life is to fulfill the purpose that God has in store for each of us, to seek out the thing that God has called us to do, and to build on the God-given accomplishments of those who came before us.

Three Points About Your Finding Your Heartbeat, your Purpose.

1) God calls each of us to fulfill our purpose in life. If you are feeling empty and lackluster; If you are feeling like every day is like Groundhog Day, just a repeat of yesterday, with no end in sight, and no light to motivate you, maybe it's because you are not walking in your purpose. Too many of us are playing follow the leader, not following our calling, and seeking our purpose. When you play follow the Leader, you march around in line, you stay in line, and you toe the line. But the line you toe may not be your purpose. There are brilliant teachers working in banks because they play follow the leader. There are brilliant preachers, working in the pharmacy because they played follow the leader. There is greatness all around us, living and working outside of their purpose. They may even do well, but because they are out of their purpose, they don't reach their full potential. Yet, the temple of their purpose must be built. When you don't live to your purpose, the purpose does not go away, it is simply filled by someone else. David was faithful and lived out his life's purpose to be King of Israel, Solomon lived out his purpose and built the Temple of the living God, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. Yet, if they did not live up to their purpose, God's will for His people would still come to pass. God's temple would still have been built. Pray for insight and understanding to find and live out your purpose, to find your life's heartbeat.

2) God calls all of us to seek our purpose in life. Have you asked God, Father, what is it that you would have me to do? Or are you just moving along life's journey? Have you looked over your life and said with conviction, this is what I was called to do! The Word of the Lord says: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you." Matt. 7:7 NKJV. Seeking means you have to look. Sometimes your purpose is not obvious to you. You have to prayerfully seek it. As you travel through life's journey, keep challenging yourself, delve into the things that come naturally to you, and ask, God is this my purpose? How can I walk in it? Then knock! To knock requires you to do something about it, whether it's study, training, moving, seeing, trying, or believing. To knock is to call for attention. Asking to be heard, asking to be let in, to announce that you are ready to walk in your purpose, to walk in your life's heartbeat.

3) Your parent's purpose is not your own, you need to find your purpose. We cannot depend on or live in the accomplishments of those who came before us. As Solomon built the temple in the Kingdom David Secured, each of us has a purpose to fulfill. We should always keep in mind that the next generation will look to you, see you, and be inspired by the purpose fulfilled in you. What will they see? What will be their inspiration? What will challenge them to live in their purpose? There are many examples of families living from generation to generation, in stagnation. They have lost sight of, or did not even seek their purpose in life. Once you find your purpose, each day is met with energy, joy, and anticipation. Each day is met with new hills to climb, new opportunities to explore, and new challenges to overcome. Without purpose, life is existing. With purpose, life is living.

David purposed in his heart to build the temple of the Lord, the Temple of Israel, but God said, It is your own son, Solomon, who will build the temple. God called David, a man of His own heart, (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). David fulfilled his purpose by walking in the way of the Lord. Solomon fulfilled his purpose, by walking in the wisdom of the Lord (1 Kings 3:9). You can fulfill your life's purpose by seeking God, His way, His wisdom. When you earnestly seek him, He will lead you to your life's purpose. "That's the whole story. here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty." Ecclesiastes 12:14 NLTA