What is my Purpose?

When I was younger, I used to think, “I can’t wait to grow up so I can do whatever I want, when I want.” However, this is not the case. As we get older, we have more responsibilities, more environments to interact in, more engagements, and a lot more pressure. Once we leave elementary school and enter high school, there is the pressure to know what field we’re going to study and to make good grades for the university of our choice. When we get to university, it’s about making good grades to go to graduate school and/or enter the workforce. Once we begin working, it’s all about making money, climbing the corporate ladder, getting married, starting a family and becoming comfortable enough for when retirement rolls around. It can become quite easy to wonder, “What is the point of life on earth?”

It becomes very easy to become overwhelmed with the things of this life, but it’s imperative for us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. God did not make us for this life, but for eternity. This means that life on this earth should not be our focus. Instead, our focus should be on how we can prepare ourselves for eternal life.

Think of our whole lifetime as a long, dark tunnel. When we are inside of a tunnel, it seems like it is extremely long. But in reality, the tunnel is only a section of the journey. At some point, it will end. In the same way, our life on earth is like a tunnel. It seems like it is very long and there is lots of time. But in reality, we will only spend a short while on this earth in comparison to heaven. This is why it’s important for us to develop our faith while we have the time.

God has put each one of us on this earth to fulfill his will. Long before we were born, even before we were conceived or thought of, God had already thought of his plan for our lives and how we are going to contribute to his kingdom. However, because he has given us free will, it is completely up to us to choose to follow his plan or to make our own decisions. There is only so much time for us to do what is asked of us on earth, and if we wait until the last few years of our lives, it may become harder to achieve those goals and we will be full of regret. In the end, we will be held accountable for our own choices. May we choose to accept God’s will for our life and follow it until He calls us home.

In order to know and fulfill our purpose, we must:

1. Be in tune with God. – We must know his unconditional love, accept it, and receive it for ourselves, and we must be willing to let his will be done in us.
2. Remember that our days on earth are finite. – We are only on this earth temporarily, and so that means that we must be willing to put our own goals aside if they don’t line up with God’s goals. It also means we need to look at life with a different perspective. Not everything that the world deems as important is truly important. If it doesn’t benefit us in eternity, it’s not something we should chase after. God’s word says, “‘Everything is permissible,’ but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible,’ but not everything is edifying.” [1 Corinthians 10:23 BSB]
3. Accept God’s idea of success. – The world believes that success is achieved by the number of materialistic things we have, or how popular we are, or how well we are doing compared to others. But God measures our success by how we are doing now compared to the fullness of our own potential. It might not seem like we are successful in the things we are doing right now, but God knows that we are in the right place at the right time. As long as we are fulfilling God’s purpose, we are successful.
4. Stop comparing ourselves to others. – Everyone’s purpose journey is different. Some people know their purpose right away, and for other people, it’s a longer journey. This is why it’s important to avoid comparing ourselves with other believers. God walks with each person differently.
5. Be fruitful with what we have. – It’s important for us to cultivate the gifts we already know we have, as we continue to ask God to reveal more to us. The Bible says, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” [Luke 12:48b ESV] God expects us to be fruitful with what he has given us. We cannot be begging for God to reveal his full purpose to us when we haven’t done anything with the things he’s already shown us! We need to be active with the gifts we are given while we wait for God to bless us with more.

Some people quickly understand what God has placed them on this earth to do, but others don’t have such a clear vision of their future. We must be patient. Sometimes God chooses to reveal his purpose to us in bits because he knows we may be unable to handle all of it at once. The way God chooses to reveal his purpose to us should not affect how we relate to him. God often reveals himself to us through his word. So as we wait to hear from him, may we immerse ourselves in his scripture, and worship in his presence daily. Let us not worry about the future, but instead, allow God to lead us day by day.

 

 

Verse: Matthew 25:21