For many years, Michael Phillips believed he had no destiny other than crime and poverty. That was what most of his teachers, his society, and his own heart communicated to him. But it wasn’t always that way. As a child, he knew the truth innate in each one of us: God created us for a purpose and that purpose is simply to be who we are. It took many wounds, losses, and wrong turns for Michael to return to that sense of mission. Now he dedicates his life to helping others live out their God-given worth. It’s a privilege to welcome Michael to the front porch today….

Guest post by Michael Phillips

When I was ten years old, I jumped off the second-floor balcony of our duplex. You could not convince me that I was not Superman. I leaped! In my Fruit of the Loom Underoos, red Superman boots, and the cape I had gotten for Christmas.

We were not created to discover our purpose; we were created because we have purpose.

Why did I jump? I had an intuitive feeling, this inherent belief (plus I was a little bit crazy). I sensed that I was made for a special mission and built with the power to pull it off.

Needless to say, the laws of gravity put my flying skills to the test. The garage roof directly beneath our balcony broke my fall, the clothesline in our yard tangled my legs, and I didn’t hit the ground. I had a few scrapes and bruises, but no bones were broken.

My grandmother ran out of the house and found me entangled, crying, and hanging upside down. She unhooked my legs and took me in the house. My sister looked at me with a face that said it all: Stupid! Perhaps she had a point.

Later that day, my mom came home from work and went straight to my room and asked a question that instantly reinvigorated me. She said, “Baby, what made you think you could fly?”

Then it hit me. It wasn’t the cape or the boots. It wasn’t the S on my shirt that made me leap. It was the personal sense of significance. I mattered. I was here for a reason. Even though my flying didn’t succeed, my worth did. I knew that I was supposed to help people; however, at the age of ten, the only way I could imagine that was to transform into a superhero. At that early stage I accepted the fact that I was born to do what no one else could but that no superhuman ability was required. All I had to be was myself.

Regardless of how broken you have become, your purpose is still intact.

We are all created with purpose. We do not have to spend the precious years that we have trying to find it, because we already have it. We were not created to discover our purpose; we were created because we have purpose. Not one of the more than 7.7 billion people on this planet is here by accident. Until we realize why we are here, our existence can lack meaning, but once we comprehend our importance, then we must take the next step to use what we have to make our highest contribution to the world.

My lived experience of understanding my purpose was and still is filled with perils, pitfalls, plateaus, and promises. The internal benchmark that indicates personal fulfillment and the sense of a positive direction is difficult to navigate at times.

So we leap incorrectly, attempting to do what we are not born to do. Then we allow our bruises and scars to become our identities instead of part of our histories. Navigating through the meandering twists of life’s trials requires help and truth.

Regardless of what you’ve been through, your purpose is still an essential part of you. Regardless of how broken you have become, your purpose is still intact. You have something important to offer to the world, and you don’t need to be superhuman to make your contribution. Purpose is not what you do; purpose is who you are. Plans change, but purpose is permanent. Purpose is your superpower.

May we all leap into it.

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[ Our humble thanks to  Waterbrook Publishing for their partnership in today’s devotion ]