OUTDOOR TRUTHS: Purpose

By Gary Miller

In the early 1900s, gun ownership for most families might have included a .22 rifle, a double barrel shotgun, a .30-30 lever action rifle, and a pistol. Many only had one or two of these. A pistol was often the last firearm on the list. A farmer looked at these guns not as something to collect or trade, but as tools. That same farmer would look at the collection that many individuals have today, and ask “What’s all them for?” He believed that a gun had a purpose and if the purpose was met with one firearm, you really didn’t need another one. He also kept his gun a long time. He became comfortable with how it handled and how it shot and therefore felt no reason to trade it for a different one, no matter how much better the newer model was.

Yes, that is different from today. Many of us think we need a gun for every type of hunt and for every situation in life. And then we need one to defend the house and the country – just in case. And all of that is fine.

But when it comes down to it, the gun, no matter how it is used, still has one purpose -to fire a projectile from a barrel. That gun can be worth a lot of money or a just few dollars, but it is still made to fire a bullet or shell. This purpose doesn’t change. It never has and it never will.  What changes, however, is the object of its purpose. In war, the object is the enemy. In hunting, the object is game. In that same hunting scenario, the object might be a duck, a deer, a grouse or a gobbler. But the purpose of the gun remains. Only the object changes.

When I think about the purpose God has given His followers, I think we can say the same thing. Our purpose doesn’t change. Only its object does. I believe the purpose for each believer is the same: to love and serve God and, to love and serve the people He puts in front of us. What’s neat about this is that we never have to ask God what purpose He has for us. He has already told us. What changes over our lifetime, and even from one day to another, is the object of that purpose. For me, the object was once a church where I was the pastor. Today it’s a group of diverse men.

But even those descriptions are too broad. One day the object of my purpose might be hundreds of people I’m speaking to. The next day it might be one person who needs a listening ear and a little encouragement. The size of the opportunity may change. The purpose doesn’t. And there are plenty of other examples as well. These changes occur as we experience different things in our lives. Death, divorce, disease, defeat, and disappointment can all change the people and opportunities that are placed in front of us. And all of this does a few things. First, it settles the question of what my purpose is. Secondly, it takes away the pressure of trying to figure out some great calling for this particular period of my life. Instead, I can simply ask: Who has God put in front of me today? And was I a good steward of that opportunity? But it also does a third thing. It shows us that no matter how bad we’ve been, no matter how difficult and disappointing our past, as long as we are here on earth, God has people for our purpose. Sin, suffering and setbacks may redirect the object of our purpose, but they can never eliminate it.

Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 24 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org. Miller can be reached via email at gsmiller2660@gmail.com.