I'm Here, Now, for a Purpose

“Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 (NIV)

A lot of people think God only calls preachers and missionaries and those who are “super spiritual.” But God’s calling is for everyone! God has called every one of us to make a difference with our lives. The problem is that some of us are not picking up the phone.

I can’t just wonder what I should do with my life or figure it out for myself. I have to ask God what he created me to do. And then, day by day, I have to look to God’s Word for confirmation that I'm doing what God wants me to do.

It’s time to answer God’s call!

Discerning a call is not just a matter of life and death like it was for Esther—it’s more important than life or death because eternity is in the balance. It's not just talking about helping people in the here and now. We’re talking about their eternal destinies. My calling includes my mission—to tell other people about the gospel, that Jesus loves them and wants to be their Savior and friend, that he died so they could know God and be with him forever.

God is working all things for his good. And I can be part of that—when I tell God that I'll go wherever he wants me to go and do whatever he wants me to do.

In Esther 4:13-14, Esther’s cousin Mordecai sends this word to her: “Do not think because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (NIV).

Mordecai knew that this young, poor, orphaned, Jewish girl had not become the queen of Persia by accident. He knew that God put her in that position “for such a time as this.”

God has a destiny for my life. He brought me to this place at this time for a purpose. If I want to know what he has called me to do, I only have to ask and listen.

In summary:

God's calling is for everyone, not just preachers. Like Esther, I am placed where I am for a reason. I must seek God’s purpose, listen, and respond. My mission includes sharing His love and making an eternal impact. Now is the time to answer His call.

My mission—to tell other people about the gospel, that Jesus loves them and wants to be their Savior and friend, that he died so they could know God and be with him forever.

Patience and Persistence Will Bring Success

“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB)

If I don’t make plans in life, I'm just going to drift. In Genesis 24, the story of Eleazar gives helpful steps for getting where you want to go.

We’ve already learned why it’s important to:

• Determine your present position
• Describe exactly what you want
• Find a promise from God
• Ask God for help
• Identify the barriers
• Create a step-by-step plan

Here's another step: Be patient and persistent.

Accomplishing big goals in life isn’t going to happen overnight. The bigger my goal, the longer it will take. The more significant my goal, the more time and energy will be involved. Reaching goals takes time and discipline. 

Nothing great is ever accomplished without patience, persistence, determination, and endurance. I need to set big goals and spend the rest of my life going after them. 

Eleazar did this. Genesis 24:21 says, “The servant watched [Rebekah] in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission” (NLT). And Genesis 24:33 says, “Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, ‘I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.’ ‘All right,’ Laban said, ‘tell us’” (NLT).

He was an example of great patience and persistence.

Here’s the point:  For me to reach my goals, I'm going to have to learn how to delay gratification.  

The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people do things unsuccessful people are unwilling to do.

Successful people often do things they don’t feel like doing. Successful people know how to delay gratification. They do the right, tough thing before they do the fun, enjoyable thing.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3). 

God says it’s going to happen—but it’s going to take a while. One of the marks of maturity is learning the difference between no and not yet. 

And God is more interested in what I am than what I do. He’s much more interested in my character than my career. Because I'm not taking my career to heaven. I'm taking my character. So while I'm working on my goal, God is working on me.

In summary:

Achieving big goals takes time, discipline, and endurance. Success requires delayed gratification—doing the hard things first. Like Eleazar in Genesis 24, I must stay focused and trust God’s timing. Maturity means recognizing "not yet" is not "no." While I pursue my goals, God is shaping my character.