Graduations are beginning to happen all around us; it’s that time of year. The question most often heard by graduates is, “What are you planning to do?” Is that question asking about purpose or is it asking about a career? So often individuals are looking for that just right and perfect job that will place them on the ladder to success, and also facilitate golden years of retirement.
Within that trek for success, individuals are also looking for that perfect spouse, the perfect house, and the perfect everything to fulfill their dreams. However, I want to distinguish the concept of purpose. Purpose is different from career or any token of success we may gather along the way.
Purpose is an inward longing that can only be fulfilled by letting it out. But, how do you find that purpose? Many individuals may live a lifetime and NEVER find their purpose. Not having a purpose can lead to a life characterized by chasing after something and everything in an effort to satisfy a deep inner emptiness.
So much of our world today is on “speed-dial” and we miss the quiet moments to reflect on who we are and for what we have been created. During the time our world was locked and sequestered away I spent much of my time reading, writing, and praying. I found that the more time I spent seeking God rather than seeking the purpose, my purpose became apparent. I reflected on my journey from childhood to adulthood and the opportunities and trials that I encountered. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the path that God had guided me through. That reflection revealed talents and tendencies that God planted within me before the foundation of the world.
The Bible states in Jeremiah 29:11 (God speaking), “I know the plans that I have for you. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.”
What I am learning is that God isn’t into always telling us the full plan up front. If He did that, we wouldn’t need God. We also might get impatient as children and ask, “Are we there yet?” God gives us an adventure. As we seek more of Him, He reveals more of us to ourselves. I know that sounds weird, but God is a good God and He is a loving father.
Do you remember having the opportunity to play “Hide-n-Seek” or “Scavenger Hunt”? Do you remember that whether you were the one hiding or the one seeking in either of those games, you were watching the faces of those with whom you were playing? Everyone was thrilled for the unknown.
Have we ever thought about God as our Heavenly Father wanting to reveal to us our hidden treasure as we spend more and more time in His presence? In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Our number one purpose is to “LOVE God with ALL our HEART, and lean NOT to our own understanding, and in all our ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct our path” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
The Path of God leads to purpose. Our purpose is to become more like Jesus every day. As we become “Christ-like” (Christians), then our purpose is to let our lives become a reflection of God Himself. Our purpose is able to be fulfilled in whatever career we choose. Whether we are a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a nurse, or a parent…our ultimate success is found in the outward expression of LOVE to the people we encounter every day.
Don’t get caught in thinking you have missed your purpose because you didn’t get the right job, finish the degree, or acquire the house with a picket fence and 2.5 kids. Purpose is more than what you do as a profession; purpose is who you are as a person and how you “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
Some of you will find that your purpose is demonstrated in acts of generosity. Others will find your purpose in being a listening ear. Purpose of God includes “seed planters” sharing the Good News and “harvesters” to usher in new believers to God’s Kingdom. Purpose is more often found in the little nudges that are triggered in your heart after spending time with God. The best way for you to really find your purpose is to ask God to reveal the purpose He had in mind for you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. The Bible states in Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message Bible):
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
You formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
You know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
How I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
All the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
The Bible tells us that when we call upon God He hears us and is faithful to answer us. However, remember, you probably won’t get a loud thunder clap…but a still small voice. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
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