Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
- Mark 1:38-39
 
That is why I have come.
 
Jesus had so much clarity, so much certainty, so much confidence. He knew why he had come to Galilee and why he had come to humanity. His clear purpose freed him to take the difficult and wandering road of itinerant ministry, to spend years mentoring the small group of men and women who travelled with him, and to provoke a confrontation with the powers that hold the world in bondage … a confrontation that lead to his crucifixion.
 
How does one develop that kind of confidence?
 
We’re tempted to write it off as some special God-thing. Perhaps Jesus had a level of clarity that we can never hope to approach. Our minds – addled by selfishness and pride – feel a constant siren’s call to follow path after path after path until we’ve wasted our one and only life.
 
But Jesus was tempted. Diversions offered themselves to him. His companions were picked off one by one, but he remained faithful to the course ahead of him.
 
Every time Jesus’ purpose faced a challenge we see him re-engage with his heavenly Father. His friendships with his disciples grounded his epic mission in reality. And he stayed connected with his Father and his friends on a regular basis.
 
That dance between his Father and his friends, between solitary prayer and community life, that created an environment that was primed for Jesus to discover and rediscover his purpose.
 
Take some time to look back on your life and look for seasons when you felt like you had lots of clarity about what you were supposed to be doing with your life? What role did God and your community play in that? What role does God and your community play in your discernment process today?