The Purpose of Man

Man was created in the image and likeness of God to rule, dominate and subdue the earth. Apart from the purpose and general assignment that God gave to humanity in Adam, He also assigned to man – (male) some specific and special purpose. Every man will become fulfilled and satisfied in life to the degree to which they discover and deliver on these specifics and special purpose.

A real man is someone who knows the reality of who he is and continues to live in the reality of that knowledge. The only way to live a fulfilled life is to know why you were born because discovering your purpose enables you to stop wasting your lives and start fulfilling your potentials. The purpose of anything is found in the mind of the creator and is determined by its nature, design and features. Man’s purpose can therefore be defined or summed up in the following ways.

1. Priority

By virtue of man’s order in creation – created first, he was created to be the foundation stone upon which the whole family is built. In building anything that will last and stand the pressures of life and nature, special attention must be paid to its foundation to ensure its strength and resistance. Therefore, any family, community or society will be as strong as the men thereof because they are the foundation of such entity. Hence when men start to have cracks in their personal lives, it affects the family, community and the society in general. However, like any foundation, which must be solid, strong, and dependable but not necessarily be seen, your manhood is not a license to be a bully!

2. Position

The second purpose that God has for man is to train and instruct man in His ways so that man can then teach it to his family and society in general. The Garden of Eden was a transitional spot for man between heaven and earth and it was not God’s intention to live outside the garden. Rather he was supposed to expand the garden and its quality through out the earth, hence it says let it be done on earth as it is in heaven. The garden was a place of continual dwelling in God’s presence for man, a place of communion, fellowship and oneness between God and man. The Garden of Eden was meant to be a training ground for man.

* To learn how to rule and reign

* To dominate and subdue

* To prove faithful over little and be made ruler of the whole earth.

So in order for any man to understand and discover his purpose in life, the first place he should seek and covet is the presence of God. When a man is not in God’s presence:

1. He will only be living but not functioning
2. He becomes a creature without conscience
3. He becomes a dangerous and uncontrollable beast
4. His mind will and cannot be renewed.

3. Assignment

An assignment is something that has been entrusted to you to do or fulfill. The assignment that God gave to Adam (all men) can be summarised as follows.

1. a.              Visionary

When God gave Adam the instructions concerning life in the garden, it was giving to him alone so that he can by his leadership teach it to those that will come after him. God’s vision for the earth was giving to Adam in the Garden of Eden as a vision to make happen what is happening in heaven to be the same on earth. Hence after the fall of man and God asked Adam where he was, it was not a geographical question, rather it was a positional and visionary question and that is why God asked again, “who told you that you are naked”. In other words, whose vision have you taking on board?

God is asking the same question from men today. Questions such as:

* What happened to the instruction I gave you?

* What happened to your leadership role?

* What have you told your family about me?

The male leadership is not a role mandate rather it is a purpose mandate giving by God and can only be understood in the context of God’s words and not by societal definition.

1. b.             Teacher

God said he trust Abraham because He knew that the covenant that He had with Abraham will be taught to his children. When God made man the teacher, it is not because he is smarter than the woman; rather it is because he was the first to be created. Satan was able to tempt Eve because:

* Satan knew that Adam was giving the instruction and not Eve

* He knew that Adam had not properly teach it to Eve

* Satan knew whatever Eve knew about the instructions was a third party information which is open to errors and wrong interpretation.

1. c.              Cultivator

As part of God’s original to Adam was that he should tend the garden. To cultivate means to tend, grow, develop and produce greater yields. All these are what is expected of Adam regarding the garden and its inhabitants. So as a man, your assignment is not just to provide for your family but also to tend and cultivate them. Also, out of the yield of whatever is cultivated, man is expected to also provide for his family.

God is not against “working”. In fact when you examine the word cultivate, it denotes work, even God worked for six days before resting. Working is doing something in order to achieve something else. In fact when you follow the chronological order in the Bible, you will discovered that God gave man work before he gave him a wife or children. Working exposes you to your potentials because it exerts pressure on your inner ability to produce results.

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