Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Purpose?


"You've always known this is what you were supposed to do, right?"

That was the question posed to me this week. We are in the middle of our series "Got Purpose" and I am doing my best to help people understand what it means to have purpose and how to find their purpose.

I was talking with this guy and that was his statement/question to me. He was surprised at my answer, "No." In fact, I didn't even really believe that God wanted me to be involved in ministry as my career until late in my Sophomore year of college (and I was pursuing a Business Degree at the time). And those of you who have been around me for the past year have heard me say that I NEVER thought about being a Lead Pastor much less launching a church. Yet here we are just over 9 months into this thing and look at what is happening.

Purpose is a funny thing. Sometimes I think I have it figured out and sometimes I think I'm crazy. Oh yes, as I mentioned Sunday, I do have the direction, passion, confidence, and strength from knowing this is my purpose, but that doesn't mean that things are always easy. In fact, the same guy who asked me that question above also asked me this one, "Who do you talk to when you need help?" Another great question which I will answer at a later time.

For now just know this: Finding and living out your purpose is not a game of hide and seek. It is not necessarily real easy either. However, it is a very rewarding adventure that, in the end, leaves you with all the direction, passion, confidence, and strength you need.

So What? Start doing some investigating. Look at yourself, your gifts, talents, desires, and dreams. As you begin to clarify those things in your life, you will begin to see your purpose. We'll talk more about it this Sunday.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

When I was a teenager and looking for “God’s Purpose” for my life, I thought that purpose was like a place that I could travel to if I just knew the right direction to go. It was out there somewhere on my life map and God was almost daring me to find it. And I also had the idea that I could miss that hypothetical place if I got off track. I could search for it and not find it. It was allusive.

But as I have grown older, I realize now that Purpose is not like that at all. I had the wrong idea about it. It is more like a coffee filter. Purpose is what I filter all the decisions of life though. It is what gives me full robust flavor in life while keeping the nastiness of the coffee grounds, the useless stuff, out of my life. Every decision is passed through the filter of Purpose. It is not a particular place or occupation or grandiose act that I might strive for and perhaps accomplish. It is a daily choice to put God first in that day which allows me to savor every single day of my life.