As most of you know, Elvis Presley is considered one of the greatest icons of the 20th Century. He is often referred as “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” or just “The King.” Many still enjoy his music and movies. In spite of his enormous success, Elvis was, according to friends and family, an unfulfilled and unhappy man. He died of obesity and drug dependency at the age of 42.

In an interview with his wife, Priscilla, she said the following about her husband:

Elvis never came to terms with who he was meant to be or what his purpose in life was. He thought he was here for a reason, maybe to preach, maybe to serve, maybe to save, maybe to care for people. That agonizing desire was always with him and he knew he wasn’t fulfilling it. So he’d go on stage and he wouldn’t have to think about it. He just couldn’t quite figure it out.

Such a devastating commentary on an unfulfilled life!

There are a couple of questions we should all be asking ourselves from time-to-time: “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose in life?” It is healthy and necessary for us to think about and ask questions concerning our own identity and purpose. For those of you who frequently engage in the process self-reflection or introspection, you know the value of taking the time to slow down and ponder the meaning of life. The late Dr. Florence Pert, former Associate Minister at Marble Collegiate Church, called this process “the inner work.” Dr. Pert was known for praising those who had taken the time to become more in touch with their spiritual thoughts and feelings.

For me personally, the process of self-observation—becoming more aware of my inner thoughts, conscience and desires—will often lead me to conduct a spiritual audit on myself. Several questions will come to mind:

• Am I excited about who I am becoming?
• In what ways can I go deeper in my spiritual journey with God?
• Are there areas of my life that I need to turn over to God? If so, what?
• How can I make more room for God in my life this week?
• In what ways can I serve others today, tomorrow, etc?

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we learn something about our identity and purpose in life. Paul says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (2:10, NIV).

“We are God’s workmanship...” Take a moment right now to think about these words. Paul clearly had echoes of the creation story in mind. He was highlighting the fact that we were made by God—created, formed, and fashioned. In other words, we are works of art—God’s unique sculptures of grace and beauty! We are worthy of being put on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and are valued high above even the most acclaimed pieces of art. In God’s eyes, we are priceless. And, since each of us is a divine work of art, how could we possibly treat ourselves or anyone else with disrespect? How could we treat ourselves or anyone else as inferior work?

The second part of Paul’s teaching is just as important. We were also created to make a contribution; that is, we were created to do “good works.” Yes! We are beautiful in God’s sight. Yes! We are loved and cared for by our Creator. But let’s not forget that we are blessed to be a blessing to others, especially to those who may not be aware of God’s presence in their lives. Consider how your life might be the inspiration and blessing of God in someone else’s life. Think of how you could serve and give something back.

Some of us may be overwhelmed by the thought of trying to serve and make a difference in the world. We become bombarded with feelings of hopelessness, saying, “I know I don’t have much to offer—I can’t heal the sick or the dying; I certainly can’t cure cancer or feed all who go hungry; I can’t even take away the pain my friend feels when she is feeling down.”

And yet the Bible features countless people who felt just as inadequate or unsure of how they could make a difference. Moses questioned his own ability to communicate effectively. Esther, in a moment of true vulnerability, doubted whether or not her efforts would save her people. Peter didn’t think he could be useful to God because of his many sins and shortcomings. These were people just like you and me. They weren’t perfect and didn’t pretend to be. By God’s grace they saw past their imperfections and allowed God to work through their efforts.

As we learned from Dr. Michael Brown a couple of weeks ago, we can’t do it all but we can bring joy, love, and inspiration to life. We can be excited to serve with whatever God-given gift we have been given. By humility and selflessness, we can put others before ourselves and care about people the way God does. Indeed, when we live into this spiritual reality, we experience true joy and fulfillment in our own lives!

Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. ~ I Peter 4:9-10