The life of Jesus is the strongest indicator yet that everyone is born for a specific assignment. The enormity of assignments may vary and differ from person to person, but the undeniable truth is that destiny has assigned everyone a specific work and a specific role. Indeed, everything that exists is there for a specific purpose. Without specificity in purpose, life would be worthless. Unlike most of us who are perpetually wandering in the valley of indecision, Jesus was never once in doubt about the purpose for his life. He knew exactly why he lived and for which specific assignment he was born. His conviction about his mission on earth was no secret. Over and over again, he openly made known the mission of his life, reiterating at the least opportunity that he lived to do the will of his Father in heaven. Unfortunately, most of us are so confused and perplexed in life that we cannot lay any claim to the very reason why we are here. It is important to examine some of the mission statements of Jesus in order to establish a solid foundation for our own destiny.

 

“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:38-40). Jesus’ focus in life was centered on the will of the Father for his life.

 

“My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Jesus was poised never to leave behind a legacy of an unfinished assignment. His ultimate mark was to execute the assignment of the Father to the finish. He had a race set out for him, and he intended to finish the race. Until you identify the race that is cut out for you to run, the ultimate prize will elude you.

 

“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30). Jesus knew very well that the power to do what he was born to do came from his Father in heaven. He gave honor to the Father, who is the author of divine assignment. By this we know that all power emanates from the Father.

 

“Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). Jesus lays claim to his kingship. He knew his divine identity and who he was. There is no ambiguity in his mind about his heritage or identity. He also knew that he was the custodian of the truth. Anyone on God’s assignment must transcend the phase of identity crisis.

 

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work”. (John 9:4) Jesus brings to the fore the time element that is so crucial in every assignment. No assignment is open-ended. Every assignment has a life cycle, a beginning and an end. In short, every assignment has an expiry date. Jesus was conscious of this factor and would not let anything stand in his way or impede his progress.

 

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). Jesus knew his mission. He came not with an iron fist but with a heart of love; not to condemn but to save. He knew how not to abuse the power and authority vested in him by virtue of his assignment. He was careful not to stray from the purpose of his life.

 

In the statements of Jesus, it is obvious that he had a specific assignment that was embedded in the will of the Father. He therefore made the will of the Father the focal point of his entire life on earth. Nothing else mattered to him. The will of the Father was what gave him meaning and purpose in life. The will of the Father for his life was not like a novel which he had to read in order to decipher the plot. It was direct, specific, and straight to the point. When it comes to the most important issue in life, the purpose of your life, you cannot afford to beat about the bush; if that has been your lot, it must give way to a new dispensation in your life when you are able to hear the voice of God and know his will for your life. Jesus knew who he was because he was able to hear from the Father. For that matter he said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge . . . ”

 

The voice of God is always a clear voice. God himself has already thrown an open invitation to anyone lacking wisdom to ask of him freely without hesitation. The Bible makes this clear in James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given.”

 

Wisdom is to know and understand what is right and to do it the right way at the right time. The will of God for anybody must not be ambiguous, vague, or uncertain because God knows all things, and he is never uncertain or indecisive about anything. If he has a work for you, he will not seek to confuse you. The confusion and the mess about our lives is always our own making. Once God calls anyone, he gives them clear guidelines about their mission and mandate. When we examine the life of Adam, the first man to be created, we will understand that God gave him clear guidelines about his life in Eden. Regrettably, Adam messed it all up and succeeded thereafter in getting everyone confused. But Jesus came to show everyone the way again. The dispensation of Christ in which we live today offers the best ever chance for anyone to fulfill the Father’s assignment. You should be able to discover the purpose for your life and pursue it till the end as Christ did.

 

The life of Jesus has had more positive influence on humanity than anyone else in the history of the universe. Two thousand years after he walked the face of the earth, Jesus’ influence is still spreading wild like bushfire. In my very minuscule study of the life of this man, I discovered one thing that sets him apart from everybody, and that is what I term the “attraction factor.” Till today, because of this factor, his ability to draw masses still remains unrivaled in the history of the world. In the area of literature, there are more books written on him than you can ever find on any one person or subject. His ability to attract has become an enigma to many people. How can anyone continue to impact so many lives after he has long left our planet? What is this attraction factor?

 

The attraction factor is everything that has to do with putting the interest of others first and loving and caring for them. It is the hallmark of good and effective leadership. It is strongly underpinned by an attitude of selflessness and sacrifice. It begins to manifest in your life when you genuinely start doing something about the question: What is my divine mandate toward others?

 

Jesus loved and cared for people so much that everywhere he went, there were multitudes following him. His influence cut across the barriers of religion, gender, race, culture, age, geography, status, and even time. He could reach out to anybody freely without prejudice. He attracted the rich and the poor, the mighty and the weak, the corrupt and the honest, the learned and the illiterate, the prostitute and the clergy, the young and the old. His passion was to do good to people. He was seen as the solution to every problem. He raised the dead, he healed the sick, he delivered the oppressed, he provided food for the poor and hungry, he taught on how to live life to the fullest, he showed the way to the Father, and he eventually laid down his life for all humanity.

 

Assuming Jesus did not do any of these things, he would have been like any ordinary person without such depth of influence on anyone. But his deeds of love spoke for him everywhere he went. Even today, his love is still speaking volumes for him. His love is still touching the world and saving millions in our time. The question now is: What is the relevance of this to the believer who has been called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? If Christians constitute the true body of Christ, then they should be seen to be doing no less. After all, he did say that those who believed in him shall do the very works that he did and even do greater works than he did. These are his words:

 

“Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).

 

Every Christian on earth is on God’s divine assignment. Generally, the assignment of every believer is to be like Christ. We have been called to be ambassadors of God’s kingdom on earth; we are envoys and representatives of Christ sent to represent the kingdom and spread the good news of the kingdom all over the earth. We are to occupy till he comes. If we will impact the world, then we must seek to emulate the Lord in every aspect of ministry. We must see the attraction factor as the most potent evangelistic tool for the end-time harvest. It is easier to witness to a person whose life you have been a blessing to than to pontificate about the love of Christ when you have shown no love yourself. The church is most like Jesus when it starts strengthening and stretching its arm of love toward the secular world and the local community. The church is most like Jesus when it starts valuing all human life, reaching out to the destitute, the prisoners, the sick, the hungry, the homeless, the widows, the prostitutes, and all the vulnerable in society. We must endeavor to reach them at all costs.

 

It is relevant to stress that nobody can do everything at the same time. What is important, however, is to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. This way, you can identify a particular cause or two, which you must pursue with zeal and passion. It is time to channel part of church energy into reaching the lost and vulnerable and touching them with the love of Christ, not just by word of mouth or simply saying, “Jesus loves you,” but in true deeds of love and kindness. Actions, they say, speak louder than words. Enough of playing church! We must begin to affect our world, and it must show. Jesus Christ came not for the healthy or the righteous but for the sick and the lost sinner. We who are “healthy” and “righteous” must now seriously reach out to those who are “sick” and “lost.” No evangelistic tool is as effective as real and tangible deeds of love. After we have received the free gift of salvation, it is our time to give to the world. It is time to exercise our overfed spirits by reaching out to the “wretched” of the earth. They are not to reach out to us; it is the other way around. That is our assignment, and it will remain undone unless we make a move. His charge to us is to go into the world and do the work and not to remain sitting and waiting for the world to come to us. A sitting church does not accomplish its assignment and mandate. It will only take a church that is on the move and that is ready to demonstrate the love of Christ in tangible ways to accomplish its mandated assignment. Jesus explains this in the book of Matthew:

 

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the very least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:41-46).

 

To learn from Jesus that the difference between heaven and hell could be our lack of good deeds of love should be a matter that provokes us into reexamining our theology. The words of Jesus speak for themselves.

 

Jesus was born a baby and made his debut into the world as a baby just like any other human being. He was not born a mature person from birth. He grew up into adolescence and matured into manhood as any normal child would. He felt the pain we feel, and he experienced the emotions we experience. He was brought up under parental guidance and control, in an environment full of distractions and numerous challenges. Yet there had never once been an instance of indecision, uncertainty, and hesitation on his part when it came to the reason and purpose for his life. He knew why he lived, and he had his assignment well mapped out in his mind. Toward the end of his mission on earth, he summed it all up in this statement: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). He said this to the Father in reference to his mission on earth. For him, carrying out and completing the assignment given him by God on earth was equivalent to bringing honor and glory to the Father. This is a truly fulfilled man.

 

Bearing this in mind, one remarkable aspect about Jesus’ life on earth was the trade of carpentry. He was known in his community foremost as a carpenter. Apart from his lineage, carpentry was one of the main things that he was initially identified with. It was said of him in the book of Mark:   

 

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him” (Mark 6:3).

 

At a phase in his life, Jesus was known more as a carpenter than as anything else. He never disputed this aspect of his life. After all, he was the son of Joseph the carpenter. It only makes sense that being the son of a carpenter, it was a matter of natural progression for him to have acquired the skills of carpentry and practice it. However, his life was not defined by carpentry. He was much more than a carpenter. He was and still is the savior of the world, and he knew it. Unlike most human beings who make their job the essence of their lives, Jesus Christ did not allow carpentry to define his life. He knew his assignment was far weightier than just carpentry. This is the point where a clear demarcation must be drawn between our careers (jobs, professions) and our God-given assignment. You must understand that you were not made for your career but for your assignment. Your career exists because of you, but you exist because of your assignment.

 

The essence of anybody’s life is his or her God-given assignment. It is very easy to confuse your job with your assignment. Because of this misunderstanding, a lot of people tend to focus all their life on their jobs and careers at the expense of their destined obligation. For example, if you are a footballer or an architect by profession, you could very easily make that career the dominant reason why you live. But what about that burden in your heart that you were mandated by the assignment-giver to undertake and which you have not even started thinking about? What of the people in your office who are probably your assignment from God but whose lives you have never impacted for the kingdom? A typical case scenario is the life of Peter Simeon. Peter was a fisherman by profession, but after encountering Christ, he found his assignment. He did not see the end of his life as a fisherman, but he braced the finish line as a disciple of Christ, an apostle, an evangelist, an author, and a missionary, just to say the least. He could very easily have finished life as a fisherman! Without a clear understanding of the raison d'être of your existence on earth, life simply becomes an experiment for you. In the illustration cited earlier, both the footballer and the architect are unaware of the truth that their professions are not the purpose of their lives. They fail to understand that their careers are only a means or a stepping stone to their assignment.

 

Jesus did not let anything get between him and his assignment, not even the trade he acquired from Joseph, his father. He was very definite, precise, and certain about his essence and calling on earth. He was resolute and steadfast in his focus in life, and nothing could blur his vision. At the tender age of twelve, he had already discovered his assignment. He once questioned why his parents were worried about his whereabouts: “How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). Like Jesus, it is very important for everyone to discover their assignment at an early stage in life. This way, your entire psyche is shaped and directed toward the work that God has assigned you to do. It will help you maintain your focus and avoid the many distractions of destiny, the most familiar of which is your job or career. 

 

Jesus was no robot. He had his own willpower and the power of choice just like every normal person. He was confronted with so many choices in life. He had to choose between his job as a carpenter and his assignment, the family business and God’s business. He had to decide between convenience and destiny, the voice of the devil and the voice of God. He was not readily accepted in his own community, which is why he was compelled to make the statement: “Verily I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country” (Luke 4:24). He had to decide between abdicating or staying faithful to the cause of his life. He had to choose between hanging out with the rich and famous or associating with the wretched of the earth. In each of the scenarios mentioned, Jesus always chose the latter. He chose his assignment over carpentry; he chose God’s business over the family business; he chose destiny over convenience, the voice of God over the voice of the devil; he chose to associate with the weak, the poor, the sick and sinful rather than hanging out with the rich and famous. He chose to sacrifice his life rather than save it. But the most significant among all the choices that Jesus had to make was the choice of the Father’s will over and above his own. When he was agonizing in prayer prior to his arrest, judgment, and crucifixion, he expressed his preference for his Father’s will over his when he said among other things: “. . . not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42).

 

The will of the Father is everything. That is where purpose resides. It is actually the pivot of every purposeful life. If you miss the will of the Father for your life, then you have actually missed eternity with God. It must never be mortgaged for even anything close. Like Jesus was, we will continue to be confronted with choices every day of our earthly existence. The choices we make in life will determine whether we will execute our God-given assignments or make a shipwreck of destiny. Knowing the will of the Father and choosing to stay within its confines is the surest key to a truly successful life. It is the difference between true fulfillment and disillusionment, between living for God and living for yourself and the devil. Jesus lived for God. He lived for the Father’s good pleasure. While on earth, he did not even consider marriage to be an option; neither did he amass material wealth. His focus and mission was to accomplish the will of the Father. What is the focus of your life? What moves you? What drives and stimulates you? Is it the acquisition of wealth, fame, pleasure, respect, and acceptance? Or is it just to have enough for your subsistence? Have you made a conscious and a deliberate choice to place the assignment and will of God for your life above any other consideration, or are you still confused and indecisive about your role in God’s grand scheme? If you are still searching for answers, just look at the example of Jesus for enlightenment.

 

It can be said without an iota of doubt that Jesus is synonymous with passion. His entire life exhumed zeal and fervor. He believed one hundred percent in his assignment. He lived for his assignment, and he lived for God. Throughout history, his strong passion for his mission has set him apart from all others. On one occasion, when his disciples were concerned about his food, he made them aware that his food was to do the will of his Father and to finish his work. He was so passionate about his work to the extent that he once went to the temple to instill order and sanity. This was the occasion when he expressed his anger in a very physical way by literally using a whip to drive out all that were engaging in commercial activity in the house of God. This singular act of Jesus’ show of passion for his assignment was so remarkable that it was captured in all four synoptic gospels, Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46, and John. John gives a more vivid and detailed account of this episode:

 

“And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (John 2:13-17).

 

From John’s account, we can see two things: Jesus in action, demonstrating his passion for all to see; then we also note the reference to prophecy regarding his zeal for his assignment.

 

The zeal of Jesus was for his assignment. At a very tender age of twelve, he was found in the temple interacting with the clergy. This is zeal par excellence. When he was fully mature to execute his assignment, he fasted forty days and forty nights; this is passion in display. It was all geared toward the fulfillment of his destiny. It was not a misplaced zeal. Many of us burn with a passion for things that have no bearing on our assignment. This kind of passion is often misplaced and misguided. An example is the passion for football, and you could substitute football for anything. You will do anything not to miss a football match or the thing that draws a lot of zeal from you; you invest your time, money, and energy to sustain this passion on a regular basis. This is not the zeal for your assignment but to fulfill a personal desire. This is purely for entertainment and self-gratification. This is simply a case of misplaced priority. The thing that should rather be the focal point of our lives is very often relegated to the background and accorded the least attention and priority, or no attention at all. Jesus’ passion was not for his personal desire or ambition. It was channeled toward a task that was far bigger than his personal interest. His zeal was for the good of all humanity rather than for his singular interest. He was motivated by love, and true love is selfless.

 

What is your passion geared toward? Normally, the strongest passion or desire in your life is directed toward only one thing. What is that one thing in your life that exacts a lot of passion and attention from you above all other considerations? Does it have love as its foundation? Does it lead to the good of others? Is it devoid of any trace of personal or parochial interest? Does it have eternity in mind? Does it have a bearing on the kingdom of God? The answers to these questions could provide the clue as to whether your passion is misplaced or not and whether you are pursuing your God-given assignment or you are living for yourself.

 

Assignment is always delegated, and with delegation comes authority. Jesus carried out his assignment under the authority of the Father, who was his assignment-giver. His constant reference to the Father is indicative of whose authority he was under. He was always quick to give all the credit to the Father. We see this clearly in John 5:30: “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just: because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent me.” This is further emphasized in John 8:28-29: “ Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as the Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me; the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” Jesus said he could do nothing by himself. He also said that he “always” did things to please the Father, not “sometimes” but “always.” In the New Testament, Jesus made reference to the Father about one hundred and ninety times. This gives a clue about his allegiance to the assignment-giver and his respect for authority.

 

Jesus’ respect for authority transcended the supernatural world. In the circular world, he did not flout the existing laws of society. In Matthew 17:24-27, we see Jesus teaching his disciples how to be law-abiding by honoring their tax obligations no matter the circumstances: “And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children, or of strangers? Peter said unto him, of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”

 

Again, Jesus did not hesitate to teach the Pharisees a great lesson on submitting to circular authority when they thought they could trick him to err:

 

“Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true , and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money, And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22: 15-21).

 

Because Jesus was totally submitted to both circular and supernatural authority, he naturally oozed tremendous power and authority. Still today, he remains the doyen of authority, as we can all testify that his own delegated authority is still as potent now as it was in the days he walked the face of the earth. The Bible says of him that at the mention of his name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. This is authority in the highest.

 

Every assignment is pregnant with tremendous power and authority. But depending on the source of your assignment, its power and authority could be either positive or negative. Saul, before he was converted to Paul, wielded a lot of power and authority to do evil, in that he persecuted the church and did a lot of harm to the body of Christ. But after he encountered a much more superior authority (the authority of Jesus Christ) on the road to Damascus, he succumbed and converted to Christianity and moved on to become one of the great pillars of Christendom. People said of Jesus that he taught as one that had authority. He clearly understood the concept of authority by living to please the Father, his assignment-giver. As a result of his total surrender to the will and desire of the Father, he was able to tap into the Father’s authority with ease. The Father was the source of his conviction, faith, zeal, fortitude, and steadfastness. He believed totally in the assignment and in the assignment-giver without wavering, and he humbled himself in total obedience to him even to the point of death on a tree. In Luke’s Gospel, we learn of how his fame traveled far and near because of the power and authority that followed him everywhere he went:

 

“And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! For with authority and power he commanded the unclean spirits, and they came out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about” (Luke 4:36-37).