Many of God’s people have never been taught or encouraged to take the time to discover their purpose for life. Therefore life is a random experiment, filled with lots of motion but no movement towards a Divine purpose or destiny (Proverbs 29:18). It ends up being a hit and miss journey resulting in frustration, disappointment, and failure.
You, however, were NOT created for failure but a life of fruitful in God’s purposes.
Notice the following principles about purpose…
1. Everything God does, He does for a purpose. (Genesis 1; Isaiah 14:24; Jeremiah 29:11)
2. God created with a purpose in mind and created you. (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:14-16)
- We were created in the image of God with a great purpose to fulfill. (Genesis 1:26-28)
- We are wonderfully made! (Psalms 139:13-18)
- We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. (Ephesians 2:10)
3. You cannot find purpose apart from a personal relationship with your Creator! Nor can you really find purpose in life by asking someone else. Ask God who created you. (John 6:68)
4. Purpose is not initially known or obvious, except to our Creator. The people in the Bible whom God used experienced an unveiling of their purpose over time. Here are a few examples…
- God usedAbraham, a pagan from Mesopotamia because He saw a way to bless the world through him. Genesis 12:2-3 “…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
- God used Moses, a fearful stuttering failure, because He saw a deliverer. Exodus 3:7-10 “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
- God used David, a willing shepherd boy, because He saw one of the world’s greatest kings. Psalm 78:70-71 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.
- God used Gideon, a cowering thresher of wheat, and called him a mighty man of courage and a great deliverer for God’s people. Judges 6:14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
Others include:
- Adam in Genesis 1:28 Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
- Israel in Exodus 19:3-6 … you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
- Joseph in Genesis 37:1-11, 50:19-21 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
- Joshua in Joshua 1:1-9 Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites.
- Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:4-5 … before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
- Paul in Acts 9:15-16 This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings…
- Peter and three of the disciples in Matthew 4:18-22 …Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
5. We discover our purpose when we fully entrust our life to our Creator. “A man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
6. God has a detailed map of your journey through life. In fact, He has written a book about you! (Psalms 139:13-18) This book is for you to discover. It is not a guarantee of things to come unless you abandon all to Him and partner with Him in seeing His purposes lived out through you!
7. Excercise: Outline Joseph’s life from Genesis 37:5-11; 41:39-46; 42:6-50:23. What can you discover from his life that will help you in understanding God’s purpose for you?
A PERSONAL EVALUATION
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Answer the following 10 questions with a 1 – Yes, 2 – I’m not sure or a 3 – Not yet
1. Is the understanding of God’s plan for my life THE most important thing in me? ______
2. Do I believe that God has a great plan for my life? ______
3. Do I live with passion and a sense of purpose NOW? ______
4. Is my vision for my life bigger than my ability and my resources? ______
5. Do I seek to make a significant contribution to the world in my lifetime? ______
6. Am I willing to do whatever it takes to discover and develop God’s plan for me? ______
7. Once I have a glimpse of God’s Will am I willing to adjust my life? ______
8. Do others know God’s purpose for my life? ______
9. Do I invest time with people who stretch and challenge me? ______
10. Do I actively help others discover who they are in God? ______
WRITING A LIFE PURPOSE STATEMENT
Habakkuk 2:2-4 Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.”
1. Developing a purpose statement for your life requires that we understand three things about ourselves:
- WHO has God created me to be? This is understanding your passion, spiritual gifts, personal style of ministry and strengths.
- What do I want to BE? This is expressed through your strengths, weaknesses and qualities you want to develop.
- What do I want to DO? These are the significant contributions you want to make in your life, the world and the Kingdom of God. It defines the legacy you want to leave.
2. Steps include…
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The first step is prayer. Ask God to reveal your purpose in life.
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Study the lives of Bible characters and see how God revealed His purpose for them, how their lives changed and the result of their obedience.
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Take time to discover your passion, Spiritual Gifts, personal style of ministry (temperament) and your strengths and begin to be involved in the Body of Christ, guided by who God created you to be.
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Seek wise and honest counsel. Others can see things in you that you may not be able to see.
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Make it specifically yours, not generic in nature. Adjust as necessary.
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Don’t aim for perfection. It will go through changes and be refined as time goes on.
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The shorter the better.
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Set achievable goals and launch out into fruitful activity!
As you begin to act on God’s revelation of His purposes for you, understand that you WILL encounter challenges, obstacles and even times of failure. Get up and keep going in the direction God has shown you! And watch Him unveil your purpose in life as you walk with Him.
CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTER & INSTITUTE 