The Purpose of People
By Jon Walker
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.” Luke 15:4–6 (NIV)
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We never see Jesus rushing. He always took time for people; he understood people were part of his purpose. He stopped; he listened. He sought the one while the ninety-nine waited.
He kept a steady, unrushed pace because he stayed connected to his unrushed Father. He could have filled every minute of a day timer with things to do, but the first thing he always did was go to the Father.
He took time to pray and that set his agenda for the day. Despite the enormity of his purpose and the value of his time, Jesus stayed close to the Father. Did he know something we don’t know, or do we just have more important things to do than Jesus?
You may have heard a preacher say, “No one ever says on his deathbed, ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office.’” You could say, through the Gospels, we see Jesus on his deathbed—and it’s significant that he wasn’t concerned about the details of his ministry. He wasn’t trying to tie up a bunch of loose ends at the office.
True to character, Jesus was fully focused on those around him. He granted grace to the thief on the cross; he asked God to forgive his executioners; he asks John to take care of his mother.
It’s safe to say your purpose—our purposes—will involve relationships, where we pour ourselves into the people around us. We stay connected to our unrushed Savior, who steadies us as we invest in people, not things, in a rhythm of grace that beats like the heart of the Father.
Instead of filling your day timer, consider what might happen if you purposefully invested a significant amount of time in twelve other people? Ask God about that—and see how he blocks off your schedule.
If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2009 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.
