Key verse
Luke 4:18-19
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me; He has sent Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to captives and sight to the blind, to send the downtrodden to freedom, to preach the year of the Lord's good pleasure.
God has chosen me. Therefore His Spirit is with me. God has sent me to tell poor people the good news. And to tell prisoners that they are free again. To tell the blind that they will see again. And to help people who are struggling. I make known: A new age begins.'
What is Purpose?
Purpose is the reason why something is done or made or why something exists that you want to achieve. A target. The final destination of a journey.
A good purpose gives you direction, clarity and overview. A goal gives you vision and determination. And from that vision follows your mission: an important assignment that you receive and that gives you insight into what you are working towards.
How do we see this in Jesus?
Jesus is purposeful. In doing so, we see that He does not do what He pleases Himself, but desires to do the will of His Father. No matter what it costs Him. This attitude and purposefulness we see again and again in the gospels.
In Luke 4 we see the 'mission statement' of Jesus. Here He indicates for whom He has come and what He has come to do. His target group consists of people who are poor, broken-hearted, imprisoned, blind and slaves. He has come to bring the good news, to heal, to set free and to give sight to those who are in trouble. Throughout the gospels, we see how Jesus very consciously focuses on people who fall into this category and how he meets them very personally in their need.
What does this mean for the Alongsiders movement?
Within the Alongsiders movement, we want to become more and more like our Master. Jesus has shown us how to reach out to others and through this He has shown us who God, His Father, is. Now it is up to us, as His disciples, to follow Him in this and to show others who God is.
What does this mean for you as a Alongsider?
Your goal as an Alongsider is to look after your younger brother or sister and to show them the Lord Jesus through them. To give him or her a place of belonging. Inspire him or her by means of your lifestyle. Always, with or without words, pointing to Jesus, our Inspirer. Meeting him or her in that which is difficult and where there is sorrow. Equipping and encouraging him or her to grow and develop in all aspects of life. Becoming more and more like the Master.
As an Alongsider, your vision is to serve in your own environment. To bring change by walking beside your younger brother or sister. To disciple him or her in all aspects of life, as our Master Jesus taught us.
(written by Daniël Vaders)
