When promise Meets purpose

MONDAY November 10 2014 was a day in which many people who are managers, transformational leaders, journalists, writers, poets, politicians, motivational speakers, gospel ministers and broadcasters awoke to the sad news of the tragic death in a plane crash of Myles Munroe, a world renowned motivational speaker, teacher and evangelist and members of his family and organisation.

MONDAY November 10 2014 was a day in which many people who are managers, transformational leaders, journalists, writers, poets, politicians, motivational speakers, gospel ministers and broadcasters awoke to the sad news of the tragic death in a plane crash of Myles Munroe, a world renowned motivational speaker, teacher and evangelist and members of his family and organisation.

The man touched so many lives through his simple and yet captivating teaching style. Very few would deny that Munroe’s teachings and philosophies contributed a lot to the transformation of the world to be a better place.

The legacy that he leaves behind endures forever because of the manner in which he impacted so many leaders around the globe.

His life (and death) reminds us that life is really a journey with several stages which must be guided by a burning desire to achieve a certain definite purpose or vocation.

If a person has no purpose in life, it is highly likely that he or she is drifting aimlessly in this world just like waves that are tossing to and fro in the Indian Ocean.

Such a life is not really life, it is mere existence in as much as rocks and grass simply exist, but do not have any voice of their own.

When any baby is born, those present who represent a microcosm of society celebrate and ululate the arrival of a brand new human being by saying, “congratulations” in English, “amhlophe” in Ndebele or “Zulu”, “makorokoto” in Shona, “pongezi in Swahili” or “re a o lebohela” in South African Sotho.

The reason why people generally celebrate the arrival of a baby the world over is because when a baby is born, the world receives a promise that purpose is about to be unleashed.

No one is born without a purpose because there is nothing which exists in the world without a purpose. We all live to serve one another.

Since one person’s problem is another person’s solution, this implies that the existence of one person must necessarily be a solution to another person’s pain or misery.

The reason why there is so much suffering and pain on earth today is because people with a warped and distorted sense of their purpose and mission on earth smother or muzzle the voices of those with a genuine purpose and mission to serve humanity.

Purpose is never properly and accurately measured by how much of this world’s resources one has arrogated to self, but by the achievement of what providence has deposited on the inside of a person in their mother’s womb.

There are two major points in this dispensation of life that determine and define the essence of purpose and meaning in life.

The womb symbolises a promise to the world that a problem solver is coming and the grave reminds all of us that the life we live must be purpose and meaning driven.

A truly satisfying life is not really a life of gathering riches or all the material trinkets of this world, because when these things possess a man, he dies a miserable person enslaved by fear.

A truly satisfying life is defined by our discovering and pursuing our God-given purpose. Any situation less than the pursuit of purpose in any person’s life is a travesty of both human and eternal justice.

The earth exists for us to define it by our actions. Future generations and posterity will hold us to account for the kind of life we choose to live while domiciled on earth.

Any person’s true home address is not a geographical spot on the earth as a planet, but where one is in terms of fulfilling his or her life’s mission and dreams.

Purpose first and foremost manifests itself in us as our life’s ruling passions, dreams and goals. If one is not a dreamer, one can never shake or even move the world. The world and the future belong to dreamers. Munroe said recently in TV broadcast in Kenya: “Your future is not ahead of you. It is inside you.”

Those who can give shape to their legitimate dreams and aspirations through their activities eventually conquer the world and persuade the world to sing their praises when they have left this life.

A purpose driven and a purposed filled life reminds us that conquering the world really starts with conquering oneself. This is achieved by imposing on the self the discipline, integrity, diligence and industry which predisposes one to be of genuine service to humanity.

The questions all of us face are: Are we individually and communally living a life which is a pursuit of the purpose for which we were born?

How far are we in the journey of serving humanity through our gifts and talents? Are we robbing from society or giving more to society than we are taking from it?

What are we preparing to leave behind as a legacy for future generations?

Ian Ndlovu is an economist based at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) skilled in data analysis using SPSS, Gretl, Stata, Eviews and Microsoft Excel software packages.

His research interests cover business, development, economic and e-commerce issues. He writes in his personal capacity.