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Allen: What does it mean to live a purposeful life? I see so many people just wandering aimlessly through life. They are not satisfied with their jobs or relationships and just generally unhappy. They know there is something missing in their life. Sometimes they will move to see if that makes it better, sometimes they will get another job to see if that fulfills the need they feel in their heart. But all the moving and job changes won’t bring any satisfaction or fulfillment until you know God’s purpose for you. God made each of us with a specific purpose in mind and until we can understand what that is, we won’t have the fulfillment and peace he wants us to have.

Clay: I meet people all the time that just feel like there should be something more in their life, but they don’t know what it is. There is a place on the inside of every person that is designed to be filled with God. We are spirit beings living in a body and possessing a soul of mind, will and emotions. We are designed by God and the spirit part of us can only be satisfied by having the life of God in it. Being born again of God, that is the life in us. It is a relationship born in the heart and lived by the direction of God leading us and speaking to us, through our prayers and his word. I see a lot of people that misunderstand their purpose on this earth. If they could just take the word of God and act on it, they would immediately come into the presence of God. To understand and fulfill our purpose in life, that can only come through a relationship with God. It can’t come through works or actions or a mind to access God – it has to come from the heart. We have to put our self aside and make a decision to follow God with our heart, and then he will show us our purpose in life. That is what leads to satisfaction, contentment and true peace in your soul.

Allen: I was in my early twenties when I gave my life to God. It was a real heart issue with me. I just had a real unsettled feeling before then and I knew that until I got my heart totally dedicated to him I couldn’t go on. I was just getting started with my rodeo and for several years after I dedicated my life to God I was afraid that fulfilling my purpose for him would mean that I had to go to Africa and be a missionary, which would have been fine if that’s what I wanted to do. But I didn’t want to go to Africa – I wanted to rope and I was scared that wasn’t God’s purpose for me. Then I made the National Finals in 1979. I was still new in my faith but I had Coy Huffman and Glen Smith pray with me during the church service before the final round. The odds were completely against me but I really felt like I could win a world’s championship that day. I also knew I couldn’t pray and ask for God’s blessing without putting my whole heart into it for him. I felt like I didn’t want the world championship unless I could glorify God with it. Anyway – everything happened that needed to happen and I won the world. At that time, it was a really challenging thing to be a Christian. Every time I got on TV I made a point to thank God and give the glory to him. It was hard. It stretched me physically and mentally; it alienated me from some of my friends. It was hard but I felt like God had already made his commitment of eternal life to me and I had made a commitment to serve him and that was what I was going to do. And in doing so he has blessed me. It has not been easy by any means, but through it all, there is just no other way I would have lived. I have just seen God’s hand at work in my life so many ways. Having that close relationship with him and recognizing his work in my life is such a reward to me. I have come to realize that God wants to fulfill the desires of our heart. He created the deepest desires of our heart so I didn’t have to worry about him making me go to Africa or doing something I didn’t want to do. It turns out that I really was born to be a roper and I have been able to serve him in a profession that I love.

Clay: There is so much stuff out there, tradition, religion, and people that tell you that you have to serve God this way or that way. It’s almost a bondage type existence with him. But that is not at all the way God intended us to live. In Christ we have been set free to come right to God, to come to the throne room of grace. But we have to believe that because that is what his word says. Everyone has a desire to fulfill their purpose in life. God made us with an inner desire to achieve and he has also given us a handbook, the Bible, on how we can achieve it. He has something specific for each of us to do. Some people get confused on what that specific purpose is, but he has it all spelled out in his word – how we can be successful with family, friends, business, finances etc. We can have a purposeful and fulfilled life.  Matthew 6:33 says "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Allen: I really recommend the book “A Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. It really helps make sense out of all the things we do in our life and how to keep it all on track for the purpose God intended us. One thing God has shown me over the years is that life is really all about worshipping him. It’s all about him. When we figure that out, the rest comes easy. I think some people have such a hard time finding their purpose in life because they go about it backwards. They spend all their time trying to be successful by the world’s standards – they work for more money, a better vehicle, bigger house, etc. And while God does want success for us on earth, when we go about it the wrong way, it leads to more stress, strife, confusion, and emptiness. I have found that if I just start every day with God, just focusing on His needs from me and not my own needs, then fruit will flow from that day. If I can start every day asking God what I can do for him, then throughout the course of the day he will show me so many ways I can serve him. And in return he blesses me beyond belief. While I am so blessed and pleased with the successes I have had in my roping career, the highs and thrills aren’t nearly as much now as they were earlier in my career. To know that I was in a place to actually do something for God is just way more rewarding than something like a belt buckle. Some day my career will be over and I won’t have any more buckles or saddles to win, but I sill still have continual fulfillment in my life because I know my purpose – to live for God every day.

Clay: It might sound weird for us to say that the buckles, and saddles and world championships don’t mean as much as a relationship with God. Those championships DO mean a lot to us, we worked hard for them. But as much as they mean to us, God means that much more. And we also know that our time on earth is only temporary – we are developing a relationship with God that will last for all eternity. It is so awesome to know that every day you can wake up with God talking to you. It amazes me that every day when I see God working and performing miracles in my life. I see him do things and I just think, “Wow…that is so cool.” But it has taken time to build a relationship and take him at his word to know the things he has done and can do for me. We read the Bible and study the word. Does that mean that sometimes we miss the mark and go the wrong direction? Yes we do. But when we do, we turn around, repent and come back to the place where we are fulfilling his word for us. We are walking in an imperfect body, but we can access a perfect God and live the life he meant us to live. We can achieve that by taking him at his word and acting on it.

Allen: I really encourage readers to pray for purpose in your life. Pray about your job, your career and that you are doing what God made you to do. When you develop a relationship with God, you will get a clearer direction from your life. When you discover your God-given purpose in life you can be at ease with yourself and find the inner peace God wants you to have.

	Pressing On with Allen Bach and Clay O'brien Cooper as told to Dee Ann Burkes July 2006 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
A Purposeful Life Allen: What does it mean to live a purposeful life? I see so many people just wandering aimlessly through life. They are not satisfied with their jobs or relationships and just generally unhappy. They know there is something missing in their life. Sometimes they will move to see if that makes it better, sometimes they will get another job to see if that fulfills the need they feel in their heart. But all the moving and job changes won’t bring any satisfaction or fulfillment until you know God’s purpose for you. God made each of us with a specific purpose in mind and until we can understand what that is, we won’t have the fulfillment and peace he wants us to have. Clay: I meet people all the time that just feel like there should be something more in their life, but they don’t know what it is. There is a place on the inside of every person that is designed to be filled with God. We are spirit beings living in a body and possessing a soul of mind, will and emotions. We are designed by God and the spirit part of us can only be satisfied by having the life of God in it. Being born again of God, that is the life in us. It is a relationship born in the heart and lived by the direction of God leading us and speaking to us, through our prayers and his word. I see a lot of people that misunderstand their purpose on this earth. If they could just take the word of God and act on it, they would immediately come into the presence of God. To understand and fulfill our purpose in life, that can only come through a relationship with God. It can’t come through works or actions or a mind to access God – it has to come from the heart. We have to put our self aside and make a decision to follow God with our heart, and then he will show us our purpose in life. That is what leads to satisfaction, contentment and true peace in your soul. Allen: I was in my early twenties when I gave my life to God. It was a real heart issue with me. I just had a real unsettled feeling before then and I knew that until I got my heart totally dedicated to him I couldn’t go on. I was just getting started with my rodeo and for several years after I dedicated my life to God I was afraid that fulfilling my purpose for him would mean that I had to go to Africa and be a missionary, which would have been fine if that’s what I wanted to do. But I didn’t want to go to Africa – I wanted to rope and I was scared that wasn’t God’s purpose for me. Then I made the National Finals in 1979. I was still new in my faith but I had Coy Huffman and Glen Smith pray with me during the church service before the final round. The odds were completely against me but I really felt like I could win a world’s championship that day. I also knew I couldn’t pray and ask for God’s blessing without putting my whole heart into it for him. I felt like I didn’t want the world championship unless I could glorify God with it. Anyway – everything happened that needed to happen and I won the world. At that time, it was a really challenging thing to be a Christian. Every time I got on TV I made a point to thank God and give the glory to him. It was hard. It stretched me physically and mentally; it alienated me from some of my friends. It was hard but I felt like God had already made his commitment of eternal life to me and I had made a commitment to serve him and that was what I was going to do. And in doing so he has blessed me. It has not been easy by any means, but through it all, there is just no other way I would have lived. I have just seen God’s hand at work in my life so many ways. Having that close relationship with him and recognizing his work in my life is such a reward to me. I have come to realize that God wants to fulfill the desires of our heart. He created the deepest desires of our heart so I didn’t have to worry about him making me go to Africa or doing something I didn’t want to do. It turns out that I really was born to be a roper and I have been able to serve him in a profession that I love. Clay: There is so much stuff out there, tradition, religion, and people that tell you that you have to serve God this way or that way. It’s almost a bondage type existence with him. But that is not at all the way God intended us to live. In Christ we have been set free to come right to God, to come to the throne room of grace. But we have to believe that because that is what his word says. Everyone has a desire to fulfill their purpose in life. God made us with an inner desire to achieve and he has also given us a handbook, the Bible, on how we can achieve it. He has something specific for each of us to do. Some people get confused on what that specific purpose is, but he has it all spelled out in his word – how we can be successful with family, friends, business, finances etc. We can have a purposeful and fulfilled life. Matthew 6:33 says "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Allen: I really recommend the book “*A Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. It really helps make sense out of all the things we do in our life and how to keep it all on track for the purpose God intended us. One thing God has shown me over the years is that life is really all about worshipping him. It’s all about him.* When we figure that out, the rest comes easy. I think some people have such a hard time finding their purpose in life because they go about it backwards. They spend all their time trying to be successful by the world’s standards – they work for more money, a better vehicle, bigger house, etc. And while God does want success for us on earth, when we go about it the wrong way, it leads to more stress, strife, confusion, and emptiness. I have found that if I just start every day with God, just focusing on His needs from me and not my own needs, then fruit will flow from that day. If I can start every day asking God what I can do for him, then throughout the course of the day he will show me so many ways I can serve him. And in return he blesses me beyond belief. While I am so blessed and pleased with the successes I have had in my roping career, the highs and thrills aren’t nearly as much now as they were earlier in my career. To know that I was in a place to actually do something for God is just way more rewarding than something like a belt buckle. Some day my career will be over and I won’t have any more buckles or saddles to win, but I sill still have continual fulfillment in my life because I know my purpose – to live for God every day. Clay: It might sound weird for us to say that the buckles, and saddles and world championships don’t mean as much as a relationship with God. Those championships DO mean a lot to us, we worked hard for them. But as much as they mean to us, God means that much more. And we also know that our time on earth is only temporary – we are developing a relationship with God that will last for all eternity. It is so awesome to know that every day you can wake up with God talking to you. It amazes me that every day when I see God working and performing miracles in my life. I see him do things and I just think, “Wow…that is so cool.” But it has taken time to build a relationship and take him at his word to know the things he has done and can do for me. We read the Bible and study the word. Does that mean that sometimes we miss the mark and go the wrong direction? Yes we do. But when we do, we turn around, repent and come back to the place where we are fulfilling his word for us. We are walking in an imperfect body, but we can access a perfect God and live the life he meant us to live. We can achieve that by taking him at his word and acting on it. Allen: I really encourage readers to pray for purpose in your life. Pray about your job, your career and that you are doing what God made you to do. When you develop a relationship with God, you will get a clearer direction from your life. When you discover your God-given purpose in life you can be at ease with yourself and find the inner peace God wants you to have.