PURPOSE.

Have you ever wondered why a pick-up van and an 18-seater bus are different in their constructions? Simply put, the difference in purpose necessitated the variance in their construction; the purpose for the construction of the pick-up van is to carry goods while the purpose for the construction of the 18-seater bus is to convey at least 18 passengers.

A closer look at the human body and how it functions will give you a better understanding of this subject. The human body is an amazing machine, full of intricate systems that keep us going. Different organs in the human body have different purposes and they function simultaneously. Without blood, the human body would stop working. The average adult has about five liters of blood living inside of their body, coursing through their vessels, delivering essential elements, and removing harmful wastes. The heart sends blood around the body. From the moment it begins beating (at 21 days after conception; the human heart begins beating at 70 to 80 beats per minute and accelerates linearly for the first month of beating) until the moment it stops, the human heart works tirelessly [In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than two and a half billion times, without ever pausing to rest]. The lung is man's essential respiratory organ. Its principal function is to transport oxygen from the atmosphere (which brings almost 10,000 quarts of air into the lungs daily in about 23,000 breaths) into the bloodstream, and to excrete carbon dioxide from the bloodstream into the atmosphere. The human brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It controls the central nervous system, by way of the cranial nerves and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system and regulates virtually all human activity. Involuntary actions such as heart rate, respiration and digestion are unconsciously governed by the brain, specifically through the autonomic nervous system while complex mental activity, such as thought, reason and abstraction is consciously controlled. (Facts culled from Britannica Concise Encyclopedia - Britannica.com) We could go on and on. All the organs have not been put in place by the creator as decorations; they’ve been specifically designed to carry out specific functions so that you and I can live.

The nose cannot suffice for the eyes; the two organs have different purposes. You’ve been built and equipped for a special purpose; which is informed by the gift(s) you’ve been endowed with. You can only excel in the area of your strength(s); where you can shine effortlessly. If you are gifted in sports, you may fail woefully should you consider a career in medicine. A born philosopher may not shine being a civil engineer. “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be.” remarked Abraham Maslow.

Alas, majority who are even conscious of their talents are using it wrongly because they don’t know why they’ve been endowed. Truth be told, as Myles Munroe rightly said “When purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable”. Don’t abuse the talents that you’ve been endowed with. If you have oratory skills, don’t use it to slander your fellow men, rather use it for the good of mankind. If you’re vast in science, don’t use your skills to the detriment of man; rather use it for man’s development. You have been created to function in a particular capacity so that you can contribute your quota to the development of man.

A life without purpose is like a ship at sea without a set destination. The level of success you will attain in life, ceteris paribus, will be a function of how you can harness your talent(s) to fulfill your purpose. Stop playing religion. Look within and discover your gift(s). Find a worthy purpose that will match your gift(s) and then follow through, though the heavens fall.

Stand up and be counted, the world is waiting for the manifestation of your latent gift(s). Arise and shine!