8 Ways to Find Your Life Purpose
“You weren't put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.” Rick Warren
When it comes to finding purpose, your direction matters more than your speed.
Many people are going nowhere fast – which is why 1 step in the right direction is better than 100 steps in the wrong direction. As C.S. Lewis said, to walk out of God’s will is to walk into nowhere.
Every day, your choices move the needle. You either walk closer to God or you move away. God wants you to live with focus, intention, and vision. Without a vision, we perish, and without focus or intention, we lose sight of our goals and wander.
Fortunately, you don’t need a detailed road map or a long-term vision to find your purpose. Your greatest life purpose is to know, love, and serve the Lord, and what matters most is your desire to please Him. By praying, listening, and taking one step at a time, you can find your path and direction.
Here are 8 ways to seek purpose and walk into God’s will, excerpted from More than a Mom book.
1. Do the next right thing.
Emily Freeman has a book and a podcast based on this phrase that’s been used by people like Theodore Roosevelt, Mother Teresa, and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Adults make over 35,000 decisions daily, and breaking those choices down into small decisions makes them less overwhelming. Rather than worry about a detailed life plan, just do the next right thing. Ask God what He wants you to do today.
2. Trust in small starts.
A marathon runner was asked to name the hardest part of running. He replied, “Putting on my shoes.”
Sometimes, the main challenge is simply getting started.
Imagine what is possible – and set small goals. If you hope to be an artist, start by painting 30 minutes a day. If you dream of creating a national boys’ ministry, lead a local Bible study for your son and his friends. If you want to decorate homes, start a notebook with your favorite images. Get your feet wet, learn, and grow organically.
3. Remember U-turns are allowed.
If you wake up one day and regret the path that you are on, change direction. Rather than go deeper and waste more time, do a U-turn.
Turn around, look for light, and ask for help from people you admire.
We all get misguided, and we all need people who lead us home. So don’t follow up one mistake with another mistake or believe it’s too late for you.
Through Jesus, anything is possible. And being a Christian is not about perfection; it’s about transformation and accepting Christ’s invitation to change. Even on the cross, Jesus forgave the criminal crucified next to him who repented before his death. He told the criminal, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
God cares more about who you’re becoming today than who you’ve been in the past. He meets you where you are, even in the middle of a mess. That is the beauty, and miracle, of grace.
4. Disrupt your direction when needed.
A friend of mine chose a military school for college because he needed discipline. His high school crowd was wild, and since his parents set no rules for him, he partied with the best of them.
But deep down, he knew that he’d never achieve his life goals if he stayed on this track.
Choosing a military school was an act of self-love that helped him build a happy and healthy marriage, family, and career. Had he not made this decision, he feels certain that he would have fallen into addiction like his two childhood best friends.
You may be a product of your past, but you’re not a prisoner of your past. Be brave when making changes that disrupt a bad direction.
5. Make choices that give you peace.
A clear conscience is the softest pillow, and if you pay attention to your instincts and intuition, you’ll know what choices to make by how they make you feel.
Maybe you’re tempted to leave your job for a new job with a better salary, but something about the new company doesn’t sit well with you. Maybe you want to say no to chairing the school fund-raiser, but you can’t shake the feeling that God has called you to it. Tune into feelings of unease and peace. Make choices that help you sleep well at night and feel good about your direction.
6. Be patient.
Do you ever wish God would give you all the answers upfront? If so, join the club! We all want The Master Plan – yet we only get tiny pieces of the puzzle.
You never know at the start of a journey what that journey will entail. Only as the puzzle comes together does it slowly make sense.
Your biggest breakthroughs are likely to come when you feel lost, frustrated, or tempted to quit. In these moments, when you feel desperate, you become open to help and guidance. You open the door for God to move.
Desperation builds humility. It forces you to depend on God as more than just a Google map. Your purpose won’t appear magically overnight, but with patience, it will get clearer over time.
7. Choose good mentors.
When you choose your mentors, you choose your advice. Ask five people for advice, and you’ll get five different answers. You may even get opposite answers.
For this reason, it’s wise to choose mentors who 1) know you and your history and 2) know God and His character. Armed with this, they can counsel you while understanding your heart’s desires.
Choose mentors who contribute to the vision of who you hope to be. Choose mentors who show strong character and inspire you to be your best.
8. Notice a need and respond.
In a podcast titled “Many Have Contemplated Suicide,” a monk named Father Abbot Tryphon said that according to a 2020 study from the Center for Disease Control, one in four young adults ages 18 to 24 had contemplated suicide in the previous 30 days.
Father Tryphon said we all can contribute to the health of others. Walking through life with a smile on our faces and a song in our hearts may help others stay afloat. It lets us be a lifeline.
He shared a story about a young man he met while hiking up a remote trail. The young man was sitting on a log, deep in thought, and Father Tryphon apologized for startling him.
He could tell something was wrong, so he commented on the beauty of God’s creation The young man asked Father Tryphon if he was an angel. The monk sat down beside him and offered half his lunch. A few moments later, the young man turned to Father Tryphon and showed him a revolver.
He’d come to this remote location to take his life, and when he saw a monk with a long white beard and a black robe, he thought God had sent an angel. He confessed that he’d been praying for God to forgive him for what he was about to do.
Father Tryphon assured him that he was no angel – but he was sent by God as a messenger. He told this young man that he was loved, God had a plan for his life, and this period of despair would soon pass.
The young man handed Father Tryphon his revolver, and the monk emptied the bullets and put them in his backpack. They had a long conversation and walked back to their cars together. The young man promised to return the revolver to his dad and tell him about his plan that got thwarted after an encounter with a monk. To this day, Father Tryphon feels blessed that God allowed him to be His messenger on that trail.
God doesn’t give vision without provision or purpose without power. And as you consider the big questions in your life (Why am I here? What am I living for? How can I create a legacy that outlives my time on earth?) remember that God has it all figured out. Pray for guidance, pay attention to nudges, and stay faithful in your small assignments, for these often set the stage for bigger assignments to come.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:23 NIV
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