A Pattern for His Purpose | December 10th, 2019

Have you ever watched a weaving loom in action? It is incredibly complex and absolutely mind-boggling to see how all of the parts must work together in perfect rhythm to create a beautiful, patterned fabric.

In 1801, long before computerized technology, Joseph Jacquard invented a loom for weaving cloth using punched cards to create patterns. You can watch how it works in this fascinating, 3-minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6NgMNvK52A

Since that time, there have been numerous types of looms invented including lap looms, handlooms, backstrap looms, floor looms, power looms, and many others that can move with much greater speed and precision. But the basic purpose of them all is to hold the lengthwise (warp) threads taut while other (weft) threads are woven through them crosswise.

The weaver can weave patterns by choosing threads of different colors or by changing the technique of the weave to create different textures. 

A few weekends ago, I spent a little time at one of my favorite bead supply stores to get some inspiration for new jewelry designs. They had just received a shipment of handmade, colorful woven bracelets. I was immediately drawn to the vibrant colors and patterns. The wheels of my imagination started spinning…how pretty these would look with natural gemstone added!

I matched several gold-edged agate slices with the bracelets for a colorful, new look:

There is a purpose for the way each of those threads is strung and woven to create every detailed pattern. 

Did you know, you were also woven with a purpose when life began for you in your mother’s womb? In Psalm 139:13-14 it says: 

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.

The Master Weaver did not stop there. He continues to weave the threads of your life together to make a beautiful pattern. And not just any pattern. It’s a pattern for His purpose. 

Our One and Only Purpose

The Bible makes our ultimate purpose here on earth perfectly clear. It is simply to glorify God. It’s not to achieve great success, making an important name for ourselves. It’s not to accumulate bigger, better, and more beautiful possessions. And it’s not to live a self-serving, pleasure-seeking life. 

The enemy will try to persuade us any way he can that spending all of our time on these kinds of things will give us purpose in life. But God tells us something completely different…our sole purpose is to glorify Him in all we do. Why? Because He created us for His glory.

“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7

What does it look like to glorify God? 

You must first acknowledge that He is your Creator and worthy of glory and honor. Then, with all that He gives you, use it to serve Him whole-heartedly. 

Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24

The plans He has for each one of us are uniquely different. We are all made in His image, yet we are very unique in how He has gifted us to serve Him. Whatever His plans are for us, we can be assured that they will ultimately result in bringing Him glory.

In every season, God provides a variety of opportunities for us to serve Him. I think of them as the colorful threads on the loom that make up the pattern of our lives. Here are some of the ways those opportunities present themselves…

The Season of Spring

The season of spring represents growth. As a girl who loves to dig in the dirt, I get so excited when I see new, baby green growth on my plants that have been dormant during the winter months. Or, when I notice little buds pushing through, soon to become beautiful blooms. 

In this season, God gives us many opportunities for new growth. He provides ways for us to grow for His glory by improving our skills and talents. We may take a class or learn from others He strategically places in our lives. I have enjoyed using my jewelry-making skills for God’s glory by donating pieces I’ve made for auctions that profit charities of all kinds. Or by blessing a friend God puts on my heart who could use a little “sparkle” in her life. 

He provides opportunities for us to grow in our relationships as well. God loved us first so we could know how to love others and build friendships with those we meet on our journey. We were made for relationships. So when we invest our time in others’ lives and share His love, it brings Him glory. 

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

God also provides ways for us to be able to grow in our relationship with Him. He gives us His Word, the Bible, so He can speak to our hearts when we open it up and read it.

We also have direct communication with Him. We can talk to Him about anything at any time. He is always available to listen, comfort, heal, and strengthen us in our greatest need. As our relationship deepens, our trust and faith in Him grow. We can then share with others what He personally means to us, bringing Him glory. 

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18

The Season of Summer 

The season of summer represents joy. Summer is all about having time off for play, relaxation, hobbies, travel, hanging out with your favorite people, and whatever else brings you joy. 

Joy is a gift that arises from the gratitude in your heart when you consider all of the many blessings God has given out of His love for you. Gratitude motivates us to give back because of all we have been given by finding ways to serve others, resulting in overflowing joy.

You will find the more you serve, the more joy you will experience. It is all part of God’s plan. He wants you to be continually filled with joy, a reflection of Christ, so serving is an essential part of being His follower. 

In this season, God provides many opportunities for you to experience joy through serving others. If you keep your eyes and ears open for ways you can serve, you will find plenty! The needs of people around you are limitless. The best part of it is that God gives you all you need to be able to serve. He greatly desires for you to find ways to show His love in ministering to others so you can bring Him glory as people’s needs are met through your willingness to serve. 

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

I was recently asked by a friend to help her and a group of other women to wrap and fill empty shoeboxes with a variety of necessities for the homeless. The kinds of things that we, who have so much, often take for granted. With my list in hand, I remember having so much joy shopping for warm gloves, hats, socks, rain ponchos, toothbrushes, and other basic toiletries, knowing this was helping people in need. 

As we filled the boxes, we added a Christmas card on top. Inside each one, I wrote, Merry Christmas. Jesus loves you! I may never know the impact it has on those who will receive those boxes, but I do know that I was serving my Lord Jesus by serving others which gave me great joy. 

The Season of Autumn

The season of autumn represents change. It is the time of year that the leaves on the trees transform from their consistent green to striking shades of gold, red, and orange.

On a recent walk, I spotted a leaf on the ground that caught my attention. It looked as if it had fallen mid-way through its transformation process. Still somewhat green, but it had begun to change colors from the center outward.

Often times, the Holy Spirit will bring it to our attention the areas of our life that need change so we can stay close to Him, hear His voice, and bring Him glory in everything we do. Change is not always easy and requires an obedient heart. 

Perhaps the change He is asking you to make is personal, such as in a dating relationship with someone who is going in a different direction spiritually. As you are growing closer to the Lord, you notice they are slowly moving further away from Him. The more intimate your relationship becomes with the one you are dating, the stronger the pull to take you in the same direction they are going which is further away from God. Breaking it off is not easy as it requires trusting God – that He knows who and what is best for you. It also requires an obedient heart to listen to Him and then do what He asks. He wants every part of your life to bring Him glory. Even your dating life.

Maybe it is your heart where He is showing you that change needs to take place. Deep-rooted weeds of pride, worry, or bitterness have begun to take over and have choked out your humility, peace, or will to forgive. When you change your focus off of yourself and onto your relationship with Jesus, you will be less controlled by your sinful nature and more controlled by the Holy Spirit.

He will make it very clear to you where those changes need to happen. With a willingness to change and an obedient heart, He will give you the power to do it. The more you reflect Christ with a transformed heart, the more opportunities you will have to bring Him glory. 

One other change you may be asked to take is to get out of your comfort zone to do something that will bring God glory as a part of His perfect plan for you. It may be a job change or a move to a new location. It may be volunteering to help a particular group of people with whom you have had no experience working…the homeless, elderly, children with special needs, battered women, sex-trafficked girls, or others. 

I remember being asked to teach the Bible study I wrote, Beauty in a Life Repurposed, with a group of girls who had either just come out of prison or out of drug rehab. That was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I know God was glorified through the time I spent with them. I am so thankful I said “yes” to that opportunity. What a change it made in me to be more willing in the future to do something that seems challenging or even a bit scary after seeing how God gave me the power to do what He asked of me, replacing my fear with incredible joy. 

God will be faithful to show you where you need to change so you can bring Him glory in every area of your life. When those opportunities present themselves, don’t squelch the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, you may slowly become desensitized to His voice. Instead, seize the moment! With His help and an obedient heart, you will be able to make those changes. 

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26

The Season of Winter 

The season of winter represents victory. Winter is the season of the darkest days and longest nights. The reduction in sunlight can affect some people to the point of experiencing seasonal depression. Not surprisingly, one of the treatments recommended for healing is light therapy! 

During our lives, we will all go through times when the darkness seems to linger on and on. A loved one dies. We lose our job. We go through a difficult divorce. We get diagnosed with a serious illness. We fall into a deep depression. It is through those darkest times of feeling sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and hopelessness that we can reach out to Jesus, the Light of the world, who is ready at all times to give us His perfect joy, intimacy, and peace. 

It is never God’s desire for us to stay stuck in darkness. When we allow Him to lead us through it to the other side, into the light, He can be glorified as we are given opportunities to share our story with others how He has given us victory through our trials and pain. 

Jesus came long ago to this earth as a tiny baby for the sole purpose to glorify His Father in Heaven so He could bring light to a very dark world. The darkness surrounding His death on the cross as He took the agonizing penalty for our sins ended triumphantly in radiant hope with His resurrection from the grave three days later. His sacrifice made it possible for us not to have to stay in darkness and sin but to be able to live in the light and have hope for eternity if we follow Him.  

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Each season of your life is filled with opportunities for growth, joy, change, and victory to better reflect and serve God. It is all a part of His perfect plan for you to bring Him glory. As the Master Weaver continues to add colorful threads to the loom, know that He is weaving your life into a beautiful, unique pattern for His purpose. 

Spiritual Sparklers

Sparkler #1: Prayer

Ask God to open your eyes to the opportunities He gives you for growth, joy, change, and victory and for the willingness to seize those moments for bringing Him glory when He is speaking to your heart. 

Sparkler #2: Action

Bring God glory in your life by taking the time for improving your skills and talents, your relationships with God and others, serving, obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and sharing your stories of victory. 

Sparkler #3: Challenge

Is there something in your life God is asking you to do to bring Him glory? Take that first step of obedience and trust so you can reflect Him in all you do. 

Kimberly Moore is a blogger, speaker, and author of Beauty in a Life Repurposed and Kingdom Sparkle. To learn more, visit her website at kingdomsparkle.com.

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