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Purpose

A man with a clear purpose can be the most charitable, benevolent, generous person on Earth; or the most dangerous. In my experience, his purpose must be wholly informed by wisdom, a wisdom that is "first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). To have clear purpose is a powerful thing, to be sure; but the following example shows, I think, just how destructive an impure purpose can be to self and other.

Starting in 1851, a group of Chinese called Hakka started a civil war that ended with the deaths of tens of millions. This conflict partly occurred because the Hakka resented their Manchurian rulers, who had ruled them for two centuries and shown themselves to be poor rulers; partly because many people became frustrated over a lack of jobs; and partly because people felt threatened by pirates, who were forced into China by the British, among other reasons.

One of these Hakka was named Hong Xiuquan. In 1836, he was given some Biblical passages by a Chinese Christian. Later, Hong had a vision that eventually led him to believe he was the second son of God (Jesus’ younger brother). He formed a military group called the “God Worshipers,” who eventually tried to overthrow the Manchu government. Eventually numbering in the millions, the God Worshipers fought for the overthrow of the Manchu government. Even though they failed, they had initiated a war that killed millions. All this started when the son of a poor farmer thought that God had told him to kill the demons around him (demons that eventually became their Manchu rulers). What may have begun as a genuine (though warped) purpose turned into what would become the largest civil war in all of history, one that left scores dead.

God knows the power of purpose. He even frustrated the tongues of men who worked to build a tower because he knew their singleness of mind (Genesis 11). Wherever strong purpose is, wisdom must also be.
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