When David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.
—ACTS 13:36
You and I began our extreme adventure with the dream of climbing to the summit and catching the ultimate sight—a view of what it means to be a man after God’s own heart. And, my fellow traveler, we’ve done it. Congratulations! Well done! And a long-distance high-five from me to you!
I’m glad you’ve stayed with me throughout this book. I hope it’s been fun. (It was for me.) And I hope it’s been challenging. (It certainly was for me!) And I trust that you have come to understand this one key to your life as a man after God’s own heart: God looks on the heart in everything! This means that your relationship with God is all about your heart and your heart’s desires.
Knowing God’s Purpose
Have you ever been in the Boy Scouts or taken a survival course? Then you know that one of the first skills you learn is how to find your bearings and direction when you are lost. And at night, the best way to do this is by paying attention to the North Star.
Well, for you as a young man after God’s own heart who is trying to make his way through this world, your first priority is to learn God’s will and purpose for your life. Once you know, you will never get lost or be confused. You will always be right on track! Once you know God’s purpose for you, you can move out in life with confidence.
What, you ask, is my purpose? Paul says, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). This means your life purpose is to glorify God.
Yes, but how? you ask.
You glorify God by living out His priorities for you. That’s what we’ve been talking about in this book—living out God’s purpose for your life. The priorities we have discussed—those relating to
your family,
your friends,
your education,
your goals,
your church,
your purity, and
your witness—
all serve as a great beginning to understanding God’s purpose for your life. What man of God wouldn’t want to fulfill God’s grand purpose for him? Or put another way, what man of God wouldn’t want to participate in the extreme adventure God has planned for him?
Pursuing God’s Purpose
My friend, as we part company and each continue to follow after God’s heart, I want to challenge you (as I challenge myself) to pursue God and His purpose. Seek His help in fulfilling His purpose for you in these ways:
Read your Bible first and foremost.
Be faithful to pray regularly.
Find someone to disciple you.
Go for the gold and give your all. And above all,
Seek God’s will with all your heart and
Desire to live out His priorities.
As you develop this kind of heart—a heart after God—you will have a marked effect on your family, your friends, your church…and your world! Your generation will never be the same…and neither will you!
Living Out God’s Purpose
In your own adventure I’m sure you, like David (and me), will have some lapses in your obedience and in your desire for God and for living out His purpose. All of us do! But remember this: You can’t do anything about your yesterdays; but starting today you can follow in David’s footsteps. When you fail, you can do as David did and repent, get back up, and go on following after God. Like David, who served God’s purpose, you can go on as a man after God’s own heart, pursuing His purpose.
You see, David, in all his mistakes and failures in his walk with God, always came to a point where he turned back to God with great remorse and sorrow. This repentant attitude and desire to please God is what made David a man after God’s own heart.
Now the big question is, Will you live out your plans, or will you live out God’s purpose? Wouldn’t you want it to be said of you that you are serving the purpose of God? My guess is that this is your desire. What man of God wouldn’t want to fulfill God’s grand plan for his life?
What an incredible opportunity you have available to you! May this living epitaph be true of your life:
(Your name)
is a man after God’s own heart
who is living out the purpose of God.