What is the meaning of life?

This is one of the all time questions. If you choose to accept it, there is a purpose to everyone's life. The Lord has an amazing and exciting plan for everyone. This plan was made before they were even born. It is very much up to you whether you take the plan on or not. This is down to free will, which He will not over-ride.

How do I know what the Lord has planned for me?

Before you were even born, the Lord had made plans for your life, and what he would like you to do. To help you with this, he gave you gifts and abilities to suit his plan for you. You may not know or realize these gifts, but they are there, and not just one, but many of them! It is up to you how you use these gifts. You can use these gifts for your own purposes, to do the things you want to do, to make money for your self if you wish. It is your free choice. You could choose to follow the Lord's path for you. Some people are natural athletes, some brilliant mathematicians, some are amazing engineers, some have a natural ability to understand people and help and care for them.

Your set of gifts and abilities are unique to you. Nobody else has the same combination. The Lord has a different plan for everyone. You are the only one the Lord has given your plan to. As you travel on the path of life, the Lord will help you to grow the skills you have, and allow your gifts to mature. The Lord will give you an interest and excitement to use your gifts. You may have used them for a long time in your work, as a hobby, or with your family and not even realized it! The Lord will not ask you to do things that are beyond you. It might be a challenge, but not beyond you. He will teach and guide you. You may not realize it, but the Lord is shaping you for his work as you travel through life. It is an exciting moment when you realize that things in the past have happened for a reason. You can see my journey here.

The Lord has given everyone different gifts, which we are meant to use to help each other. Others have been given gifts which will help you, and it is the same with you. Some of your gifts are meant to help others. If others choose not to use their gifts, then you could be missing out on what is meant to be. It is the same in return. Some people choose to only use their gifts for their own wishes rather than those of the Lord.

My girlfriend and I were talking one night. We had seen one of the Alpha course videos, and she was asking what would happen after the course had finished. I explained it was up to her, and what she felt she wanted to do. I explained that there were other course we could do, or she could decide to serve the Lord. It was at this point it became clear to me, that the choice of what she could do would be almost endless. The Lord our God is the biggest employer in the world, with workers in every country! The number and types of role to play are almost endless! Better than that, the training scheme you have been on all your life, has been designed to help you to work for the Lord if that is what you decide to do. You could choose a position that suits your skills and excites you. If you are enthused to do a job, you will do it many more times better than someone who has no interest in that role. The position you choose could be based on your interests and gifts.

Someone once said to me, when I started doing the Alpha course last year, are you going to become a lay preacher? That persons assumption was that if I was on a course, then it should lead to me doing something with it. Everyone has their own strengths, and preaching is definitely not mine. There are a lot of really good ministers around who have much better skills for the job than me. Rather, I decided to make this website to try and help as many people as I could. You can see my journey here.

The number of vacancies for the Lords work are enormous. There is a job available for everyone! They include more obvious work like doctors, nurses, carers, teachers, ministers, preachers, and fire fighters. Each of these professions requires a huge back up service, such as secretaries, admin assistance, linguists, catering staff, shop assistants, researchers. The Lord requires bakers, butchers, electricians, plumbers, child minders, mothers, fathers, bin men, drain cleaners, and almost any job you can think of. The list is endless.

So, you can see there are many different positions available in the employment of the Lord. The question you have to ask is What excites and enthuses me? What skills and gifts do I have? Bear in mind, like any job, you don't need to have all of the skills required to get a job. There will be training provided, and any missing skills can be learnt. The Lord will not expect you to do things you don't want to. The Lord will not expect you to do work which you are not capable of, or which you hate.

Please remember, it is never to late to retrain to do a different type of job if it is what you want. People work for the Lord until the day they die because they don't want to give up their jobs. They do this because they enjoy their jobs so much. The Lord has to win the prize for the best employer. He is fair, kind, supportive, and generous. You can retrain to suit the job you would really like. I would imagine, if you look through your life, you may be able to see where the Lord has given you gifts, and trained you in the use of them, ready for the day you decide to turn to him, and work for him. To me, this can be compared to your family having a business, and you not working for that business. Imagine you parents reaction when you say you would like to come and work in the family business. Wouldn't they be excited and supportive!

The Lords work doesn't have to be a paid job, that is 9 till 5, Monday to Friday. If someone comes to you and says they have a problem, big or small, and you give them your time. You listen to their problems, and use your knowledge and wisdom to help them, give them advise, or even just be there to listen to them, then I believe you are doing the work of the Lord. I think giving someone our time and effort is the biggest gift you can give to anyone, and what's more it is free. The Lord has paid that for you!

A big part of Jesus's life on earth was spent in friendship and sharing a meal with his disciples and others. The Lord made us as social people. Our social interaction and friendships are the most important requirement we have. We need to have friends. These friends need us. You can see that this is in a way doing what the Lord God wants from us. He wants his children to support and care for each other.

Things to think about?

Here are some things to think about, to give your self a better idea of your skills and abilities.

• What do you enjoy doing? Can you make a list of 10 things you enjoy?
• What excites you? Can you make a list of 5 things that excite your?
• What fascinates you? Can you make a list of 3 things that fascinates you?
• What experiences did you have growing up
• What were your 4 favorite subjects at school? what did you enjoy?
• Which jobs have you done that you enjoyed? Were there any parts of a Job you did what you really liked?
• Have there been any spiritual moments in your life? Have you seen anything spiritual in other people you really liked?
• Have you served God in the past? If so how?
• From the trials of your life, where you have had to go through problems, what things have you learned? Could you help others with their problems?
• Are you a good listener? Are you a good speaker? Are you a compassionate person? Are you a loving person?

The Bible tells us:
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4 vs.10

I wish you the best of look in your search for your purpose in life. It is a really exciting time, so enjoy it! If nothing else, please love one another, be compassionate, and non-judge mental. No one really knows what someone else is going through. They are your brother or sister, so just try and help them.

In the love of Christ,
Tony.

This is my own work. If you are a minister, and I am incorrect, please send me an email to tony@godsworld.co.uk and tell me where I am going wrong. If you could give me a correction that I could publish, I would appreciate that. Many thanks,