He lived an imperfect life. That led him to find a noble purpose, a purpose for which he would give his life. This kind of personal transformation can be the basis for hope even in the life of an imperfect, rebellious individual. Where we begin our life’s journey and where it ends offers each of us time in which to grow and in which to find a purpose, a noble purpose.
Every life should have a noble purpose.
That belief began to work in me when I was just a child. I heard a scripture written by a follower of Jesus. That follower was going blind. He would be jailed for his faith, he would suffer greatly, and he would be left to die alone. That man died not knowing how important his words and the witness of his life would become.
The words that man wrote were these: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8, New International Version, The Holy Bible).
Or to say it from another perspective: “To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying ‘Amen’ to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive.” Robert Louis Stevenson
There are plenty of folks going about their lives with no purpose and with no real hope. Life for them is doing what they have always done. One morning as they wake for another round of the same old thing, they realize they have absolutely no idea what they are doing or why they are doing it. They have no purpose.
Purpose has its value.
Purpose motivates, it helps folks live a disciplined life. Purpose centers people and gives them direction. All purposes, however, are not noble purposes.
A good working definition of noble is, “having or showing high moral qualities or character.” (Cambridge English Dictionary). A noble purpose therefore leads one to a more excellent way.
What are some possible noble purposes?
- Alleviating suffering.
- Providing peaceful solutions to conflict.
- Reconciliation and forgiveness.
- Offering hope to those who do not know hope or have any reason to believe they deserve hope in their lives.
It is to the last of these noble purposes to which I point you. To offer a person hope, to help them discover that hope exists and can guide them, this is a noble purpose. Bringing hope to a grieving mother who has just lost a son, bringing hope to people displaced by war, bringing hope to those who have suffered in natural disasters, bringing hope to those addicted to drugs and dangerous lifestyles, these are some noble purposes.
Without hope, folks just exist.
Hope has value. Hope enables folks to live disciplined lives. Hope centers individuals and gives them direction. This is the bridge between hope and purpose.
Let your purpose be to bring hope, to live with hope, to witness the power of hope. Let your purpose be to transform lives by offering others the gift of hope.
Thank you for this, Jon. I would add another noble purpose: having the courage to use your God given talents to express your truth and creativity in a way that adds something to people’s lives. I feel this is something you do with your blog.
Thank you Moira. I appreciate your feedback. I do hope and pray others will find comfort in following hope in their lives.
The finest, clearest statement about hope I’ve read in a long time. Well done.
You are a great teacher. Any success I am having is because of your interest in my writing skills or lack thereof. Please keep pushing me. I hope you will.