Perceptions #200036

"A Sense of Purpose

by Norman Bales

In Victor Frankl's book, Man's Search For Meaning, the author described the horrible conditions which people lived under during the holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany. Frankl, a prisoner himself, began to observe the qualities in the lives of the survivors. The survivors all had one thing in common. They had a sense of purpose, an awareness of direction for their lives. Frankl concluded, "A man can stand almost any what if he has a why."

My greatest concern for the youth of our time is not what they do. Yes, I'm concerned about illicit sex, substance abuse and all the evils that corrupt young lives, but I'm even more concerned about their sense of purpose. Those young people, who have a clear understanding of their purpose in life, are the ones who are most likely to overcome life-destroying behaviors.

I'm also frustrated because people (not just young people I might add) are not only confused about life's direction, they don't have the slightest idea about where to find it. Kids drop out of college, strap on a backpack and head for the mountains to "find themselves." Grown men forsake family responsibilities because they can't "find themselves" in conformity to "domestic expectations." Wives leave dirty dishes in the sink and let the family wash pile up, so they can search for their identity in the feminist cause. Folks bail out on the church because it hasn't met their needs and they couldn't "find their niche" in its fellowship.

I would like to say, "People, a sense of purpose isn't all that hard to find." Jesus laid it out quite plainly. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. " (Matthew 16:24). When you follow that formula, you will find yourself and you will know your purpose.

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