A Head Start Is for Running Farther

Samson had God's purpose stamped on his life nine months before he was born. He was God's chosen person to set Israel free from the Philistines. But he drifted. He made pleasure his purpose.

Samson had all the gifts, awards, and environment, but he lost his purpose.

You have a purpose

The Bible tells us we were bought with a price. Jesus paid everything necessary for your redemption, and He has a purpose for your life: to bring you back into fellowship with the Father, into the family of God, and into a righteous life instead of a pleasure-seeking one. Before you were born, He knew what He wanted you to do for Him and who you would set free if you lived in your purpose.

Our modern word for it is privilege

If you grew up in a Christian home, that's not fair. You got a head start. Some of us came to Christ later and think, My life is half over.

I've talked with believers from countries that don't allow conversion, where coming to Christ is a very secret thing. If you're from a country that lets you come to Christ without putting you to death for it, we have a modern word for that: privilege.

You realize we didn't have the Bible in print like this until Gutenberg? Men like Jan Hus died for the Word of God. I have I don't know how many Bible versions in my pocket. I think I have three Bible apps on my phone. You sit in an air-conditioned room at 70 degrees in a padded chair. Back in my day, we sat on pews. You didn't fall asleep on a pew. The preacher had to be really good to put you to sleep on a pew.

Privilege works two ways. You can get lazy with it. You've got a phone that will read the Bible to you. Do you read the Bible more or less? You grew up in a Christian home. Are you using that to coast, or is it taking you farther?

Or you can pray, "God, You've given me a head start. Make it purposeful." You can probably serve God in ways somebody born in the 1800s never could. You can talk to somebody on the other side of the world right now. But if your purpose is just pleasing yourself, how lame is that?

Look over the side of the raft

If you're on the life raft today, look over to see who isn't. That's your purpose. God plucked you out of the water so you'd know what drowning feels like. It wasn't so you could order an umbrella drink. It was so you could look over the edge, see people perishing, and bring them in.

You might think you'd rather have the pleasures of this world. I promise you don't. Once you discover God's purpose for your life, it's addicting. Some of y'all are going to work this afternoon. Is your purpose just to make money and climb a ladder? You should only be climbing ladders if you're an electrician.

Beyond protection

Remember Manoah asking God to send the messenger back with more rules? God didn't. He gave them the purpose, and that was enough. Ultimately the kid has to choose. Your kid is the bad influence. It's in his heart.

So we move beyond protection and point our kids to a purpose that is seen in a Person, Jesus Christ. Connect them with Christ and His purpose, and you don't have to pretend anymore. You don't have to put on your Sunday shoes while dancing to a different tune. You find what God has called you to, and you show up.

Lord, help us not take our privilege as the easy path. Help us run farther and do more for the kingdom because of the advantages You've given us.