A Special Kind of Purpose! There are two sides to Bilbo: the adventurous Took side and the home-loving Baggins side. The Baggins side – with its need for comfort, safety, and predictability – has become obsessive. Gandalf sends Bilbo to help save the region from the desolation of Smaug, and in helping others, Bilbo himself is helped. The two purposes are intertwined. Christians, young and old, who have gone on mission trips, served meals to those in need, or have been part of any sort of ministry, quickly realize that they are the ones who are blessed the most. Tolkien’s point is the age-old truth that it is in giving that we receive.