“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” Lynda Mullaly Hunt
considerations on the law of the spirit of life Romans 8:2
Ever notice when you’re sitting behind a vehicle in traffic, and drivers have that “fish” symbol, and maybe you do or don’t know what it means? Not the technical Greek acronym version, but just simply the idea of the one fish that swam the other way. Though elementary, yet significant because in every school of fish, there is always the one that swam the other way.
When you saw today’s title, you’d expect a blog on ‘how to discover my purpose’ and have 5 steps listed to find it. Listen, there are plenty of smart people who’ve already written gobs of material on the subject. Many of whom I’ve actually read and learned from, and use when teaching others who strive through secular means to unwrap that desire.
However, this title reads “How to Discover Purpose,” which is a Person and not a place. It is about position, and not personal destination. Yes, I do understand God has a specific plan for each of our lives — grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (Ephesians 4:7) But to discover, one must (like our lone fish) move by risk away from the position of majority, to discover reward in a new found position.
My reason for using this illustration of that single fish that swam counter current is to teach how we (and the fish) get gain from loss. Keep in mind, fish aren’t dumb that’s why it’s called a “school”. And you generally go to school to find, or discover your purpose.
Let me explain my thought from the scriptures. To gain life, one would have to lose it (Matt. 16:25). Experientially, the advice is that in order to get filled, one must become empty; to get fixed, one must become broken. Initially, we may feel pretty inadequate at the thought of being empty, for then our rivals, co-workers, and competition seem to have advantage over us. But a scriptural principle is to know that when you’re empty, (of self life) the filling that is received by the Spirit of Life (Eph. 5:18), is for you to have the capacity to now dispense (pour out) life into others. Not “your” life (as out from you) but of the Spirit (John 6:63).
The same is also true of brokenness. The books that are written on wholeness and having it all together are endless; philosophies of the world system (the majority of the school of fish). Whichever school of thought we derive from, we find ourselves wanting to fix others and believe that’s our purpose (like a purpose-driven life). Yet, you really can’t fix others if you’re not broken. If you don’t know what broken is, then how do you know your audience. (the same can be said of being empty)
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, saving those with a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18) Christ keeps us as emptied vessels strictly for the purpose of dispensing His riches, His fullness, and His healing. Drawing us ever so to be dependent.
You and I, as we embark on our life journeys in full pursuit of “purpose,” are unconscious of the crisis of the cross. Each of us may believe we are quite self-sufficient. Enough evidence and determination – believing in or knowing our purpose, as did the bulk of the fish. Then the cross unexpectedly breaks us, bringing us to death (into His death) for our pride. Of our sins. Of our conceit. Once we felt adequate, now we dump the fruit brought from the ground of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because we can clearly see it’s rotten. And so standing on the cross’s ground, we are expected to follow—which necessitates genuine self-denial. Not just “a putting to death the evil works” but the good works as well (Romans 7:19-21).
Our old nature is corrupt because of sin; that’s the reason life isn’t out from you—for things that corrupt never last since (degradation) it’s an increasingly degenerative state, leading to death (like that fruit you had in your hand earlier).
Now that you and I are empty. We’re broken, and we’re dead in Christ. You wonder, how does that give me purpose? To cut to the chase, Christ is Purpose, and you as a Christ-follower, have Him. He is the One from Whom, through Whom, and to Whom all things are made. Apart from Him, nothing is made. (including purpose) So when we are finally seated in Him, then the purposes of God are now manifest for the fullness to begin to take place in us. (Romans 8:28)
Salvation is more than just saving a person; it is also beginning that soul’s journey to the fullness of Christ (Colossians 3:11). Grasping this permits us to let go of other things (dying fruits). The more we ingest or consume Christ as the Bread of Life, the more He takes up space, allowing less of our fleshly deeds (bad and good) and more of His to be expressed through His Spirit. So, one more time, the way to fullness is through emptiness; the way to “fixed-ness” is through brokenness.
In closing, a last scriptural principle, it is always that we work from empty, we pray from broken, and vice versa. This assures that only He works out of Eternal purpose for which He is. To apply this type of action may at first feel like the lone fish that swam the other way. But you must ask yourself. What did that fish find? Well, he gave up following the crowd, to chase down some (one)thing else. Maybe it was purpose! Thanks for reading. Best day ever.