From the Regional Team  

Revd Andy Twilley

SEBA Regional Minister

YOUR UNIQUE PURPOSE 

Who are you? It's a really interesting question and I guess there's a whole range of different ways that we could think about this. On the one hand, we might think about our physical attributes and our DNA profile. Or our personality profile and complete a Myers Briggs test to ascertain who I am. Or maybe from a spiritual perspective, we might use the model that Bill Hybels used of gifts, passions and temperament, or Rick Warren who talked about our S.H.A.P.E.; our spiritual gifts, our heart, our abilities, our personality and our experiences. 

And yet, whatever model we use, sitting behind it all are those wonderful words of Psalm 139 where we read, “for you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb.”  

So, we have our profile and flowing from our profile comes our God given purpose. I love the way Paul picks up this concept of our purpose flowing from who God has created us to be, our profile. In Ephesians 2, verse 10 he writes: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” 

And as I think about Paul's life, clearly he had a very clearly defined purpose and he devoted his life to fulfilling that purpose. But it's not just Paul that is given a purpose. Every single one of us has a God given purpose too. That is what Paul wanted people to understand. I'm really fortunate in that God gave me a purpose when I was just 11 years old. In fact, this year I celebrate 40 years since my ordination. 40 Years where I've known what God is wanting to do with my life. Sure there have been challenges, there's been struggles at times, but so many wonderful things that I can look back on over those 40 years. And more than anything else, I can affirm the fact that over those years God has faithfully supported me, encouraged me, forgiven me, guided me every step of the way. What’s more, another great factor of having a purpose is it means it gives us the opportunity & the strength to say no to things if they are sitting outside of that primary purpose. 

When I was ordained 40 years ago, there was a verse which became really important to me. And that verse was Acts 20, verse 24. Let me quote it to you now. “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.” 

Which brings us to the third word we're going to reflect on and that's the Word perseverance. You see once we've discovered our purpose, God wants us to persevere in it. He doesn't say it's all going to be easy. Sometimes it will be really challenging. Sometimes we'll feel really tired. But as we keep our eyes fixed on him, as we seek to keep in step with fulfilling that purpose, we can be assured that he will be all we need him to be to keep going. And maybe today you're feeling tired, maybe you're feeling weary, maybe you're feeling disillusioned. And I just want to say to you, persevere. Keep going. 

God has made you to be who you are. He's given you this purpose. Keep going, because he is with you. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He will faithfully walk with you, no matter what challenge you may face. 

Andy Twilley 
July 2026