2. A classical viewpoint
– Elton Mayo, a contributor to the Classical school of thought, came up with 14
principles of management. One of them is instructive for the purpose of this
presentation – Order.
– There is a place for everything and everything in its place. That’s order for you.
By the same token there is a purpose for everything and everything for its
purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that there is also a time for every purpose under
heaven.
– Everything has its purpose. Everything that we see, touch, feel, smell, hear,
experience, encounter. There no one thing we can say is without purpose.
None!
3. Everything has its designated
function – the mat as an example
– A door mat is used to clean feet, sandals, shoes and heels before one enters a
house. To achieve this, the mat must be trampled upon and stamped all over
and rubbed. Until they get soiled, it would not have achieved its purpose!
– Door mats can be found uniquely designed in shops or from those who make
them. These are specially designed ones. But then there is the case of disliked
clothes which are discarded as a door mat since they are out of favour. But
that’s not their use. That’s not their proper function. Which probably means
that it was not their original purpose.
– This is a clear example of what happens when something no longer achieves its
purpose. It’s the same just like a shirt with holes, tears and tatters.
4. There is a purpose for
everything (expanded)
– You need to determine the purpose of something so that you can determine the
appropriate actions that give outcomes desired to achieve the purpose.
– Know the purpose of something before you do it, commit to it, engage it,
experience it, encounter it … .Only then can you act accordingly and gain
maximum utility from that something because you now know its purpose.
– I remember that I was struggling to start writing my attachment report. I really
did not know where to go from after writing the company address of where I
was attached.
– I approached Arthur, who was attached at Deloitte & Touche, whilst he was
waiting for the company bus to ferry him to work.
5. The attachment report experience
gave way to this purpose metrix
– He told me that the attachment report is an interpolation of the contents of the
weekly logbook. I was nonplussed. These things were supposed to be different –
they served different purposes. And the purpose of the attachment report was the
one I could not identify. That’s why I could not go beyond the company’s address.
– After weeks of searching for the purpose, I eventually identified the purpose of the
report and – oh my, oh my – the content started flowing from my fingertips, flooding
the document with information that had proven hard to come by because I now
knew the purpose.
– The next slide will show the purpose metrix – something that has a purpose will
need proper actions to be taken to bring desired outcomes that achieve the purpose
6. Purpose metrix
something that has a purpose will
need proper actions to be taken to
bring desired outcomes that
achieve the purpose
7. When I said everything, I
included you
– Everything including you has a purpose. What’s your purpose?
– Why are you here on earth? What are you doing on earth? You need to ask yourself
these kind of questions in order to determine your purpose.
– You are not just here because your mom and dad’s sharing of the same bed is
correlated to the fact that this act produced a fertilized cell that is now you. Even
though such acts might have been accidents like premarital or extra marital, it’s still
no coincidence to your birth!
– You were born for a purpose and the sooner you know it the better. Because you
must know the purpose of everything.
– You are here for a reason. Born for a reason. Placed in your family for a reason.
Located in that place for a reason.
8. A dead lion isn’t any better than
a live dog
– Or should I say a living dog is better than a dead lion. It’s far much better.
– For a dead lion cannot afford to catch prey that passes by it while a dog that
lives will probably go for the prey if it is worthy it.
– A person that doesn’t know their purpose is dead. They are not yet living
though they are alive.
– A person who knows their purpose but is not living it is a fool. For if you do not
live your purpose, who will live it for you? I shall quote Macheso from his song
Mude-mude; Ride ride, ride ride basa rako , ukasarida iwewe unoti richaitwa
nani wooo iwe uripo?
9. A mop cleaning plates
– a mop can clean plates to a sparkling finish such that the visitors can give a
compliment when served food in such a clean plate.
– But is this it? Asi ndizvo here?
– Is that its purpose? Is this what it was designed for? No!
– A mop for the floor and a dishwasher cloth for the plates. Though they be of the
same material, their design is different so that each achieves its purpose.
10. The parables of talent, light and
salt
– We all know the parables of the talents? You will remember that the foolish
servant hid his minah whilst others invested theirs to earn more. This fool could
not even do the easy thing of depositing the minah so that it could earn
interest. (Mathew 25:14-30)
– The end of the story was that the king took the minah that was hidden from
him and gave it to one who had ten minahs.
11. Takings from the parable
– God gave us talents and gifts (not only spiritual ones) so that we can use them to achieve a
purpose. One who lives his purpose shines in the darkness.
– We must use our talents otherwise the opportunity might be taken away from us because the
world does not have to suffer long because of one living a purposeless life.
– A talent or gift is equated to a light whose purpose is to shine and chase darkness but hiding it
under the basket means that darkness remains.
Mathew 5
– 13You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It
is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14You are the
light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put
it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the
house.…
12. Of Comfort zones, beginnings
and life partners
– For most people, life is about getting a well paying job and then getting married to a
Mr. Nice Guy or an exquisite beauty, then living happily ever after.
– This is what I call the comfort zone of most people.
– I shall go back to the beginning. In Genesis 2 we see Adam alone. He had all the
animals with him and he named them. And God saw that it was not good. That’s
when he created the woman from his rib by performing the first operation. Alelujah!
– You see Adam already had a purpose in him and out of this given purpose came out
a companion suitable to him, to compliment him in achieving his purpose.
– So your purpose determines the kind of life partner suitable and compatible to you.
What you do with your purpose attracts a likewise partner! Cue Ananias & Saphira.
13. Jonah’s example
– Jonah was sent on a mission to preach to the people of Nineveh. But he ignored
God’s call and chose to go to Tarshish.
– To show Jonah that this was not the path that lead to his purpose, God caused a
tempest that troubled the sea. Sometimes when the path you are walking in is
not set out, it may be God calling you to a the right path whilst notifying you
that you are on the wrong path. Saul met the same fate just as Balaam
– God sets the agenda of our lives and we have to aggressively pursue that
agenda for we cannot be against Him but are from Him.
14. Moses’ example
– Moses knew that it was within his power to liberate his fellow Israelites when
he was still prince of Egypt. That was his purpose but the actions he did would
not achieve that purpose. That is why the Holy Book says its not by might but by
MY SPIRIT.
– After 40 years of exile from Egypt, Moses is no longer the bold prince but a
timid shepherd. He cites various reasons for not being able to do the purpose
but when all are exhausted, he just does not want to do it. Even Jeremiah
thought he was too young for that purpose God wanted him to do.
– We should not find excuses to carry our purpose in life while we still have it.
15. Other examples of timidity
– Saul was told by Samuel that he was to be king. But when time for proclamation
came, he hid himself among the equipment – hiding away from his purpose. (1
Samuel 10:22)
– Gideon thought of himself of coming from a small tribe, in the least family and
he being the least of all. (Judges 6:15)
– You only need to look at the behavior of David when he was anointed king. He
did not hide himself from purpose but took it in his stride.
16. Additional reading
Colossians 4:17
– Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.“
2 Timothy 4:5
– But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
discharge all the duties of your ministry.
John 4:34
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
John 19:28
After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture,
Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
17. Closing remarks
– Fulfill your purpose and your God-given destiny. You do not deserve to live without
purpose.
– Know your purpose. God says for lack of knowledge, His people perish (Hosea 4:6).
The answer lies in Jesus, who was given to the world so that whosoever believes in
Him shall not perish (John 3:16) but have life in abundance (John 10:10). Outside of
him, you will perish and achieve nothing – John 15:5. live your purpose in Jesus.
– The devil might have made you stay away from it but God will return what was
devoured by grasshoppers! The devil is a destroyer and what he does is to destroy
your purpose or distract you from it such that time comes for you to be withdrawn
from this earth without you having achieved your purpose -(Ecclesiastes 9:12)
– Gifts and callings of God are irrevocable, cannot be withdrawn – Romans 11:29 but
time wasted not using them cannot be recovered – Ecclesiastes 9:11
18. Closing Scripture – Ecllesiastes
9
– 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has
given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your
toilsome labor under the sun.
– 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead,
where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
– 11I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth
to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
– 12Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them.
