Many of us have lost things along the way. We have lost our phone, our wallet, our keys…our minds sometimes. And so we go looking for these items that have meaning to us. I have spoken to many people over my ministry career who have a feeling of lostness. They feel they are living everyday with no real compass. They don’t feel satisfied in the their life choices and direction. They want to know what is the meaning of their life? How do they discover their purpose?
King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 2 that he’s gone down every road available. He’s tried every earthly thing. He experienced pleasures of all kinds, had all the money and stuff he could aquire. He had so many relationships and sexual encounters. He used his creativity to build things that would outlast him, one of which was the temple in Jerusalem. He was an international celebrity and enjoyed being a house hold name for the world. And then King Solomon said that none of it mattered or brought him satisfaction or made a real difference in his life. He said it was like chasing the wind….all meaningless.
It is meaningless unless you have God in the priority position in your life. The only way you will satisfy the aching spot in your heart is to find your purpose in God and His story. So, how do I find my purpose in this life as it relates to God?
Paul told us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” We are reminded the same hands that created the universe…the same hands that knit you together in the womb of your mother are the same hands that want to show you your purpose. And in order to discover your purpose, you must hang out at the intersection. So you ask, “What intersection?”
There are four roads that lead to helping you answer the question of your purpose and if you stand at the intersection of those four roads, you’ll figure out your purpose.
The first road is answering the question, “What brings God glory?” John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “Jesus must become greater and I must become less.” Live life in such a way as to bring God glory every single day, not just on Sunday. How are you using your time, talent and resources to make more of God than you do yourself? Everything outside this idea Solomon says is hevel or meaningless. Paul tells us in Romans 11 that everything we have and all that we are flows from God and is for God. What are you doing to bring God glory?
The second road is discovering your gifts. Paul gives us a list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. He tells us that each of us have been given at least one gift by the Holy Spirit. And when you master that gift, desire to lean into the other gifts as well. God was deliberate when he saw you in your mother’s womb and knew just exactly what to give you as a gift. What is your gift and how are you using it in God’s story?
The third road is discovering your passion. What is the thing you are very passionate about? For me, it’s preaching and kids and teenagers. Another way to word this is what brings you joy? And you know it’s your passion when you discover it’s not being done and it creates an emotional response in you. So on mornings I’m not bringing the Word, I miss that piece of sharing God’s story. When I see children or teens being mistreated, it gets me agitated. So what are your passions and how are you using those in God’s story?
Finally, the fourth road is where are the open doors? Find the places available to do things you are passionate about. You’ll feel the Holy Spirit nudging you at your place of employment, in the places you live, play and worship. How are you using your gifts and passions for God’s glory in the places where there are open doors?
If you don’t know what your gifts are, ask someone close to you like a spouse or a close friend. I promise they will tell you what they see in you if you ask.
And you don’t need an army to accomplish living everyday into God’s story. What I see in the Bible is this formula: God + You = enough. When you surrender to God’s story the only power you need is the power of Almighty God.
So let the maker give you meaning. Once, I couldn’t get my Apple computer to do what I needed. After working with it half a day, I finally took it to the Apple Store and in about a second, they had it functioning at its full potential. So also, when we surrender to our Maker, he’ll help us function at our full potential.
You want to find purpose in life? Solomon tells us you won’t find it in anything the world is offering you. You’ll find purpose in God, our Maker at the intersection of God’s glory, your giftedness and passion, and open doors. But you must be brave enough to listen and then act. Blessings on your journey.