From the Sandbox to the Beach: Embracing God’s Greater Purpose

 

“We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

— C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

We often settle for a life that is far less than the one God wants us to live.

Christians in America have settled for a life of mere moral living—attending Sunday worship (if we have nothing else to do), giving a few dollars (if we can spare it), and having a morning quiet time (mainly so we can post it to Instagram). We have made Christianity something that we do rather than something that defines who we are. In the process, we have settled for life in the sandbox when God wants to take us to the beach.

The problem, as I see it, is that we don’t understand that God promises us something more than what we dream of having. He intends for our lives to have purpose and for us to influence our little part of the world. God created us to be part of something larger than ourselves.

What did God create us to do?

He created us to be part of His Kingdom and to be united with other Christians as we make disciples. This is how we make a positive impact in the world we live in.

As my understanding of this reality has grown, the excitement and hope in my heart have grown as well. The reason I get excited is because I want to be a good steward of this life that God has given me. I don’t want to waste my life sitting in front of a screen, scrolling away while chuckling at a few videos. I want to live a life that impacts those around me and makes their lives better.

I don’t want to settle for a life in the sandbox. I want to accept God’s invitation to the beach.

Acts 20:18-24 (CSB)
When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. 

“And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

The apostle Paul knew he was created for a purpose, and he lived his life to fulfill the calling that God had placed on him.

It is true that not everyone has a specific calling like Paul, who was called to be God’s instrument for taking the Gospel to the Gentiles, but I do think we can learn from his life. I want to point out two truths about accepting God’s calling on our lives.

The first truth is that living out our calling isn’t going to be easy. We often have this idea that since this is what God has called us to do, and because it will align with our talents and abilities, it will come easily. But that is not the case. The enemy will oppose us every step of the way, and we will have to fight through distractions, disappointments, difficulties, and detours to do what God has called us to do. No matter how hard it might be, it will be worth the effort.

The second truth is that we will only discover the meaning of our lives through living out our calling. Why are we here? Questions like these are answered as we do what God has called us to do. Paul said that his life had “no value” apart from living out his calling. Our value is found in being faithful to the call God has placed on our lives.

We may not have been called like the Apostle Paul, but God has still called us to follow Jesus, to live faithful lives, and to be united with the Church in making disciples. In our commitment to the mission of Jesus, we discover the meaning of our lives.

We are created for something bigger than ourselves. The call to be a disciple of Jesus is more than a commitment to attend Sunday morning worship. To be a follower of Jesus means that we join Him in the work He is doing in the world. This is the way we discover a life of purpose and meaning.

It is time to stop playing in the mud and accept God’s invitation to go to the beach.

Identity: From Corruption to New Creation

 

We often hear that human beings are created in the image of God. But what does that really mean? It’s about more than just physical likeness; it’s about purpose. Being made in God’s image means we are meant to represent Him in the world—to reflect His character and love in all we say and do. To help us accomplish this, God has equipped us with tools like intelligence, creativity, and discernment, enabling us to steward His good creation.

However, there is a problem: sin. In Genesis 3, we see the introduction of sin into the world, corrupting the image of God in us. The Apostle Paul sums this up clearly in Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard” (NLT). Sin disconnects us from God, distorting our ability to live as His representatives. Instead of being guided by the Spirit, we are led by our flesh, bringing dishonor to God.

This disconnection from God leads to a deep identity crisis. People wander through life, unsure of their purpose and significance. Across different cultures and belief systems, we see this search for meaning—Who am I? Why am I here? In a world grasping for answers, the Bible gives us the truth: we are created in God's image, but that image has been tainted by our choice to define good and evil on our terms. However, there is hope! The Gospel reveals that through Christ, we can rediscover our identity and purpose.

The Problem of Sin and the Promise of Reconciliation

In 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses this profound truth. His second letter to the Corinthians came after a period of significant challenges within the church. In his first letter, he had confronted them about division, immorality, and false teaching. By the time of this letter, there had been genuine change, and Paul was encouraged. He took the opportunity not only to reaffirm his apostleship but to remind the Corinthians of the reconciliation we now have with God because of Jesus.

Paul’s motivation is clear in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15:

For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised. (CSB)

Paul is driven by Christ’s love. Because Jesus died to bring reconciliation to people, Paul was willing to sacrifice his own comfort to bring the Gospel to the world. And just as Jesus died for us, Paul urges us to “die” to our old way of living—our beliefs, desires, and goals—and live for Christ. As believers, our mission is now tied to Jesus' mission: to reconcile people to God.

In 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, Paul highlights a critical shift in perspective:

From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! (CSB)

Before, Paul evaluated everything—including Jesus—through the lens of the flesh. But now, as a new creation in Christ, everything has changed. The Holy Spirit transforms us, preparing us for the entirety of New Creation, complete with a new heaven and a new earth. This transformation is ongoing; the moment Jesus rose from the dead, a new creation began, and we are invited into it. Sin no longer defines us because we are no longer enslaved to it. Instead, we are empowered by the Spirit, producing the fruit of eternal life like love, joy, and peace. We are made new to reflect God's character once more.

A New Creation with a New Mission

In 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 Paul explains that through Jesus, we are reconciled to God.

Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 

 

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (CSB)

This reconciliation is not something we accomplish on our own; it is God’s work. Sadly, the world doesn’t realize they are separated from God. They are living their lives the best they can with the wisdom given to them.

This is where followers of Jesus come in. Paul refers to himself as an ambassador for Christ—someone sent from the Kingdom of God with a message of reconciliation. As we mature spiritually, this is our calling as well. We are no longer just stewards of God’s creation; we are ambassadors, sent into the world with the Good News of Jesus.

Christ took on our sin so we could be reconciled to God and restored to our original design. As ambassadors, we carry this message of peace into the world, to people who desperately need it. Our purpose shifts from simply tending to creation to bringing the message of salvation to a lost and dying world.

Sin Corrupts, but Jesus Restores
We are made in God's image, designed to reflect His character. Sin, however, corrupts that image, separating us from God and leading us to dishonor Him. But God, in His great love, sent Jesus to be our representative, dying in our place so that we could be part of His new creation. Through Jesus, we die to our old life and are made new, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live for God’s Kingdom. As we mature in Christ, our purpose becomes clear: to be ambassadors for Christ, taking the message of reconciliation into the world.

Moving Forward in Christ
What does this mean for us today? It means focusing on our spiritual formation in Christ. What is your next step? Perhaps it’s confession and prayer, or maybe you need to forgive someone or take up the discipline of Bible reading. Maybe it’s time to share the Gospel with a friend who is searching for purpose. Our spiritual growth equips us to be better ambassadors for Christ, able to share the Good News with others.

Though sin may distort God's image in us, it does not have the final word. God's love for His creation remains, and He has made a way for us to be renewed—through Jesus. Our true identity is found in Him, and as we walk with Christ, we become more like the people God created us to be.

Identity: Created in God’s Image

 

There’s a funny, and likely untrue, story about Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, visiting a retirement community. As she made her way through, shaking hands with the residents, she encountered a woman who didn’t seem to recognize her. Thatcher asked, “Do you know who I am?” The woman replied, “No, but if you ask that nurse over there, she usually knows.”

This humorous exchange highlights a deeper truth: many of us go through life asking, “Who am I?”

It's not uncommon to feel lost or uncertain about our identity. Our culture constantly pushes us to conform, to find our worth in achievements, appearances, careers, or possessions. In the midst of this, we can lose sight of who we really are.

Thankfully, there is One who knows exactly who we are: the God who created us.

The Questions We All Ask

Life’s big questions—Where did I come from? Who am I? Why am I here? How should I live? Where am I going?—highlight our search for identity. Trying to find the answers to these questions drives much of what we do. Whether it’s searching for meaning in careers, relationships, or even hobbies, at the root of it all, people are trying to discover their identity and ultimately their place in the world.

Thankfully, we have good news: the Bible provides answers. In a world where people are searching for identity, the Bible tells us who we are, why we’re here, and what our purpose is.

Beginning at Creation: You Are Not an Accident

The answers we are searching for are found at the beginning, in Genesis, with creation. It’s important to remember that we are not here by accident. God created us intentionally and with purpose. We can discover answers to life’s biggest questions as we come to understand the very reason God created us.

The account of creation found in Genesis is not just a story about how the world came to be; it's a declaration of who created the world and why. God made everything—space, skies, water, land, animals, and plants—and then, in a deliberate and special moment, He created us.

Let’s look at Genesis 1:26-27:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”  

So God created man in His own image;  

He created him in the image of God;  

He created them male and female. (CSB)

What It Means to Bear God’s Image

Everything we see around us was created by God. But what makes human beings special? According to Scripture, it is the fact that we are created in the image of God.

But what does it mean to be made in His image and likeness? 

1. Representation: The term "image" in Hebrew is the same word used for "idol." Just as idols in ancient times were meant to represent gods, we are meant to represent God. In the ancient world, people believed that the gods worked through idols. In the same way, God works through us. We are His representatives on earth.

   

2. Authority: In many ancient cultures, kings were considered to be in the image of the gods, representing them and exercising their authority. Similarly, we are given the authority to act on God’s behalf. We are to rule over creation, taking care of it as stewards, reflecting God’s character in all we do.

3. Ambassadors: Kings would place statues of themselves in conquered lands to show their dominion. As God’s image bearers, we are like these statues, evidence that this is God's world. Our presence declares His sovereignty and points others to Him.

Dominion and Responsibility

To be made in God’s image also means we are given dominion over creation. This isn't about exploitation but about stewardship. God didn’t finish all the work in the Garden of Eden—He left some of it for us. We are to arrange, cultivate, and care for the world by wisely using creation’s resources and loving those around us.

The story of the Bible starts in a garden and ends in a city. This reality shows humanity’s role in continuing God’s work of bringing order and life to creation. In order to rule well, we need to align our hearts and minds with God’s wisdom and character — His love, generosity, compassion, and mercy.

Created Male and Female

Both men and women bear God’s image. While God is not gendered, He created humans male and female to reflect different aspects of His nature. As we come together, in marriage and in community, we are able to represent God even more fully. Each of us, individually and collectively, is responsible for reflecting God's image in the world.

Our Fallen Image

Unfortunately, sin has marred the image of God in us. In Genesis 3, we see that instead of being content with being like God, Adam and Eve wanted to be *equal* to God, deciding for themselves what was good and evil. This is the essence of sin: trying to replace God with our own wisdom. As a result, the image of God in people has been corrupted.

Today, we see the evidence of this everywhere—people redefining good and evil based on personal desires. This is why we desperately need the Holy Spirit to restore us to who God created us to be. Only through His guidance can we reconnect to God and live out our purpose.

Living as God’s Image Bearers

To bear God's image is more about purpose and responsibility than it is about a special quality that we possess. To bear God’s image means to live as His representatives in the world. To do this well, we need God’s character, wisdom, and guidance. We need the Holy Spirit to help us live out the values of love, justice, and mercy that reflect God's heart. The Bible is essential in this process because it reveals God’s will and wisdom to us.

The Challenge

God created us to exercise dominion over creation. To do this well, we must reflect His character and wisdom. This is our calling, our purpose, and our identity. We are to represent God wherever we go and in whatever we do, from the way we interact with others to how we care for the world around us.

Here is a challenge for you: Honor others as fellow image bearers. To do this, you need to pray and ask God to help you see people as He sees them. Let’s represent God well in all that we do.

We are God’s representatives, created in His image to reflect His character. Our calling is to show the world who God is by demonstrating His character. But because sin has corrupted that image, we need God to restore us. That is why we put our faith in Jesus and let the Holy Spirit guide us so we can be people who represent God in the world.

** I used ChatGPT to take my sermon notes and generate a blog post. ** 

The Foundation for Choosing

 

“Our choices either move us toward God and all the pleasure that comes in Him or steer us away from Him to a life of shame and defeat.”  

— Erwin McManus, Seizing Your Divine Moment

The direction of our lives is shaped by the choices we make. While many of the decisions we make today may seem insignificant, some will have a lasting impact on the rest of our lives. This is why it’s crucial to have a strong foundation to guide us in making the right choices.

That foundation is the Bible—God’s Word.

As our Creator, God knows what is best for us. His Word is designed to help us navigate life in a way that demonstrates His character. This is how we live the life God created us to live.

Consider what Jesus said about building our lives on the foundation of His teachings:

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.” — Matthew 7:24-27 (CSB)

If we are going to follow Jesus, there are three key actions we must choose to take.

1. Choose to Listen. 

We must decide to listen to Jesus. We can easily choose to ignore His words and neglect reading God’s Word altogether. We might also hear God’s wisdom and choose not to act on it. But when we refuse to listen, we will miss out on the life God wants for us.

2. Choose to Trust.

Next, we must choose to trust what Jesus says. Trust is an essential element of faith. It moves us beyond simply believing that what God says is true to living in accordance with it. When we trust Jesus, we declare our confidence that His way of life is better than our own. As we trust Jesus and experience the life He offers, our faith grows, enabling us to trust Him more, even when life becomes difficult.

3. Choose to Change.

Finally, we must choose to change the way we live. It’s one thing to trust Jesus when His words make sense to us, but true obedience involves being willing to follow Him even when it challenges our own understanding. Change requires admitting, “I was wrong, and I’m ready to do things Your way.” Acknowledging our mistakes is never easy, but it is essential for spiritual growth. It is also the only way we can leave behind our old ways and commit to following Jesus’s path.

If we want to experience the fullness of life that God created us to enjoy, we need a foundation for making decisions. That foundation should be the Bible. Choose today to be a person of God’s Word.

What is Purpose?

Purpose is a concept that has intrigued human beings for centuries. This reality is seen in the ancient question, “Why am I here?”

The fact that we exist isn’t enough. We want to know that there is meaning behind our existence. Many people will spend their entire lives searching for that meaning, trying to understand what their purpose in this world is.

If we are going to start this search we need to ask two clarifying questions: “What is purpose and where does purpose come from?”

At its core, purpose provides the meaning to our existence. It is the driving force that gives our lives direction and worth. It helps answer to the question, "Why am I here?"

Some people will tie their purpose their career, while for others, it will be related to their relationships, faith, charity work, or community involvement. Many people want to have a purpose that is greater than themselves.

From a Biblical perspective, purpose is discovered in the reason behind the creation of humankind. This is what we read in Genesis 1:26-28 (CSB),

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

This passage is key to understanding the Bible since it tells us the reason for humankind’s existence: to bear God’s image. The most important idea behind bearing God’s image is that we are to represent Him in the world. I like to say that we are created to demonstrate God’s character. We are to join God in ruling and caring for His good creation. Whatever our purpose is in life is tied to this reality.

If we are going to demonstrate God’s character, then we need to know who God is and what His will for creation is. The Apostle Paul wrote:

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10, CSB)

Paul’s pray for the Colossians was that God would grant them a knowledge of His will AND spiritual wisdom and understanding. We need to both. The knowledge of God’s will is ultimately a gift from Him. Only He can reveal what His will is for creation and for our lives.

Not only do we need to know God’s will, but we also need to know how to live that will out in our lives. That is what spiritual wisdom and understanding is all about. My definition for wisdom is “the knowledge for living life well in God’s good world.” Again, only God can give us this wisdom and understanding, it is not something that we can discern on our own.

Notice that Paul went on to say that we are to live in a way that is worthy of Jesus, in way that pleases God. In other words, our purpose is found in representing (this brings us back to Genesis 1:26-27) Jesus in how we live (bearing good works) and in spiritual formation (growing in the knowledge of God).

Our purpose isn’t found in our specific work or achievement, rather it is how bear God’s image in the various areas of life. On the one hand this means everyone has the same purpose, but on the other hand it means that our purpose is unique to our situations and experiences.

We can only answer the question, “Why am I here?”, by turning to God. He is our Creator and He created us to bear His image. As we demonstrate God’s character to the world around us we discover the purpose of our lives.

Our Purpose and Our Healing

God created humans to bear His image. To bear God's image means that we are to demonstrate God's character: His love, grace, mercy, and kindness in the world around us.

How do we do that?

It starts with love. Jesus taught that our greatest responsibility is to love God and to love people.

He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40; CSB)

The best way we can live this life of love is to be kind and caring to those around us. In a word we are to serve. Serving is the foundation of the purpose that God created us to do.

It is logical that our purpose is wrapped up in serving others, but it doesn't make sense that our healing is too?

In fact, it seems contradictory to say our healing and our wholeness are found in giving our lives away. 

Conventional wisdom teaches that we need to take care of ourselves first before we have the capacity to help other people. Some Christians even teach that we need to love ourselves before we can truly love others. 

The truth that our healing is found in giving ourselves away is another example of the upside down nature of the Gospel. Wholeness is found in sacrifice and healing is found in serving others.

One of the reasons why our healing is found in serving is because we are are broken by our sin and selfishness, which leads to broken relationships. Our sin has led to a damaged relationship with God which leads to a damaged relationship with other people. Since we are created to live in relationships, to have damaged relationships means we cannot be the people God created us to be.

We lack wholeness when our relationships are not what they should be.

So how do we build relationships? 

It begins with reaching out to people in love. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught:

Matthew 5:23-24 (CSB)

“So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”

We are to take the initiative for reconciliation happen. Even if we have been wronged it is up to us to do what needs to be done to make things right. There is no guarantee that broken relationships will be repaired, but our relationships will remain broken if we do nothing. We find healing and wholeness when we do what is in our power to make things right in a relationship.

Not only do we need to reach out to people in love, but we also have to stop following our flesh. Paul gave the Galatians this warning:

Galatians 5:13-15 (CSB)

For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Our flesh will lead us to be selfish, which in turns destroys relationships and holds us back from pursuing our purpose to love. To find wholeness and healing we need to be led by the Spirit. How do we know when we are led by the Spirit? We know the Spirit is leading when we experience the desire to help, serve, forgive, and encourage people. 

In our journey to become the people that God created us to be we need to know what we can do, those things that are under our control. How we follow Jesus is under our control and that is what I focused on here. There are times in our pursuit of wholeness when we need more help. This is when we should get counseling. A good counselor will help you to find the path of healing that you need.

The thought I want to leave you with today is that healing isn’t discovered in more self-care, but it is found in reaching out to people in love. Healthy relationships have a healing effect on our lives.