“What is my purpose- and how do I find it?”
Pick up a dozen self-help magazines and you’ll get a dozen different answers to that question. I’d venture while some answers differ, there are probably multiple overlapping themes. One expert might encourage their reader to follow their joy or their passion. Others might suggest (or provide) a personality inventory. In almost every scenario, the reader is encouraged to ultimately listen to their heart, their experiences, and trust their gut instincts. As followers of Jesus, we take heed of the warning found in Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV): “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” So if we can’t trust our hearts to lead us down the right and righteous path to our purpose, where do we even begin?
An example from King David
In Acts 13, we find the Apostle Paul speaking to the crowd gathered at the synagogue in Antioch. In verse 36, (while speaking about the fact that the Messiah did not see corruption) he says something remarkable about King David.
“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his father’s and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.” Acts 13:36 (ESV)
While sharing about the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostle Paul gives us a great insight into the life of King David. We know from this passage that David had a specific purpose! The scripture tells us that it wasn’t just any purpose originating from a desire to follow his passion or his heart- in fact, King David was not the origin point of his own purpose! We’re told that God had a purpose for King David. Not only did God create David’s life to accomplish His specific purpose for him, God also planned for that purpose to be accomplished in the generation in which King David lived, his own generation.
Sister, so dearly loved of God, your purpose is so much deeper than your preferences, personality, and heart. The origin point of your purpose is God himself, who has caused you to live in your generation, for his own purposes. Every soul is planned and crafted by God (Psalm 139:13-16). God desires that every soul would turn to his son Jesus Christ and become his own (John 3:16). We know from Ephesians 2:10 that those in the Body of Christ are to live out the Lord’s plans in their lives: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” While we are not King David, we are part of Christ’s church and holy to the Lord. God has plans for each of us within his church, our families, and wherever he has placed us in our generation. Our purposes here will be varied! My calling may look different from yours, and that may look different from our friend’s. While only the Holy Spirit can lead us in the will of God (whether through his Word, Godly wisdom, or Godly brothers and sisters in Christ) we can be assured there are a few characteristics that a child of God can expect to find in their purpose from the Lord.
Love God and love others
In Mark chapter 12, we find a scribe who asks Jesus which commandment is most important. Jesus responded: “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (ESV). Every purpose intended for our lives is going to have these commandments at their bedrock. No matter the circumstance, we are called to love God with EVERYTHING we have- every ounce of our emotional and mental faculties are to be his first. The strength he has given us should be in his service (whether that means we are serving in our local church or shopping for groceries). There will never be a time or a place when our true purpose puts us at odds with loving God first and foremost or showing God’s love to those in our sphere of influence.
God first
Whether we’re talking big picture plans for our lives or simply the blueprints for a season, we can rest assured that seeking HIS kingdom (and seeking it before all else!) is part of the plan God has for us. We see this illustrated in so many pages of the Old and New Testaments, reading the stories of those who sought to put the LORD first (Abraham comes to mind!) or failed to (like Samson). We see this in God’s desire that his children bring him their first fruits (Deuteronomy 18:1-5), not only did this serve a practical purpose (the caretaking of the temple and Levites) but it also served as a tangible reminder to the people: God comes first. This righteous command carries over to the New Testament where we hear the following plainly stated by Jesus: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:23 (ESV). Righteous action seeks first the Kingdom of God.
Not ashamed of the Gospel
The purpose God has for you will never require a denial of faith in Jesus or his gospel. The apostles and the early church set an excellent example of how to share (and share in) the gospel, while also living in a world that was hostile to their message. Christians today can take courage from the apostle Paul when he says: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16 (ESV). As we find ourselves living in our own generation, there will be opposition to the message of the gospel- just as there was in the generation of the apostle Paul! The presence of opposition and persecution does not mean that we are not living out God’s will or purpose for us- it simply means that we live in this fallen world. When we are walking according to the will of God, there will be opposition! Over and over again in the book of Acts, we see the followers of Christ encouraging and strengthening other believers. In Acts 15:36, the apostle Paul says to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” We repeatedly see this desire from the apostle to check in with believers- how in his numerous letters he writes to them fervently (encouragements and corrections). The apostle Paul knew the trials that awaited those who follow after Jesus. He wanted to help strengthen their faith! We can take courage in the examples of these early church fathers and the people they helped to shepherd. In whatever purpose God has for your life (or this season!), the gospel of your salvation is something to hold sacred.
In it, but not of it
In John 17:6, we find Jesus praying- and he makes the following statement: his disciples are not of the world, even as he is not of the world. As a follower of Christ some 2,000 years later- this still holds true! This world is not our home. In the present darkness, we are called to shine as a light (Philippians 2:15). There will never be a circumstance where God’s purposes for you will require willful sin against him or leading others into sin. The way that is paved by sinful actions (and invites others to join in) is not from the Lord. When we are following God’s will, we will live in the world, but be separate from its darkness- just as light is separate from darkness!
It will bring glory to God
When we live out the purposes God has for us in our own generation, God gets the glory for our lives. Repeatedly, we hear this echoed in the Psalms penned by King David. The song of David in Second Samuel, Chapter 22, is a great example of the psalmist ascribing glory to God. In verse 35, he credits God with training his hands for war and giving him strength. Everything King David experienced (whether it was talent, position, or deliverance from an enemy) he counted it as grace from God. When we are living according to God’s will, we can follow the example set by King David, and turn those victories into praise!
When it comes to finding our purpose, God is faithful to lead us in righteousness. It might not be easy. We may have to spend time seeking the heart of our father in heaven- but ultimately he will guide his children toward his will. When we live in pursuit of the will of God, He gets the glory for every good work! May we be able to look back on our lives someday and say that we lived unto the purposes of God, in our own generation.
