I so admire people who have always known exactly what they want to do with their lives. I entered college having no clue what I should study. I declared psychology as my major but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I did not like the field. But my developmental psychology class at the preschool lab did lead to me adding education as a second major. Over 20 years in teaching, though, and I am still wondering if this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life. Have you been there? Are you there now? One of the most important things we can do is to seek God and let Him show us our own individual purpose.
“Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.” – Jesus (Matthew 13:43 AMP)
You Have a Purpose
You were created on purpose for a purpose. Have you heard that before?
It is reassuring to know that my life has meaning, that I am not a surprise to God that He has no use for. Maybe you find yourself on a battlefield, in a waiting room, or in training. None of those things change the fact that you have a purpose.
Your purpose is a gift from God, an assignment that only you can accomplish. And even if you don’t know what your purpose is, God promises to direct our steps. That is why it is so important to pursue Him. As you spend more time with God, He will give you the desires of your heart.
“This is also how it is with people. The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure will become special. Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.” – 2 Timothy 2:21 CEV
Release Your Plans to God in Faith
Pursuing a relationship with God should always come first and above all else. We should seek after God’s heart and allow Him to orchestrate our paths. What do you think your purpose is? Ask God for a fresh revelation. What He reveals to you may be completely out of your comfort zone, and you may feel unqualified. Or it may not be what you hoped for or expected. You may be saying to God, “You want me to do what?!” Surrender your will for God’s. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is a beautiful role model for this. She shows us how to respond when God interrupts our plans.
“Then Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her.” – Luke 1:38 AMP
God wants to use you to shine His light. Be willing to be whatever God asks you to be and to do whatever God asks you to do.
“And blessed [spiritually fortunate and favored by God] is she who believed and confidently trusted that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her [by the angel sent] from the Lord.” – Luke 1:45 AMP
Obey God and Be Faithful to His Will
Fears and the worries of life, what others want for us, and living in the past are all examples of distractions that can prevent us from finding our God-given purpose (See Mark 4:19; Luke 21:34; Matthew 6:31-34). What, or even whom, are you prioritizing? We do not need the approval of man; God is pleased with us before we ever even do anything. We should never even depend on our own thoughts, but rather trust God to help us fulfill our own individual purposes (See Proverbs 3:5-6).
“For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” – Ephesians 2:10 AMP
We also have a purpose that we share as Christians, and that is to spread the Gospel. Replace the things that distract you from God with those things that help you to focus on Him, such as reading His Word and spending time in prayer and worship. Allow what God is doing in you to be a shining example of Christ to everyone.
“And those who are wise–the people of God–shall shine as brightly as the sun’s brilliance, and those who turn many to righteousness will glitter like stars forever.” – Daniel 12:3 TLB
What are Your Gifts?
It is very important that we know our purpose. Especially with so many distractions, it can be easy to be led astray. One way we can know if what we are pursuing is God’s will is if it is something that can be done in God’s presence. It is a blessing to play a role in God’s plans. Ask Him to show you opportunities that you can love others and share His goodness.
Whatever your gift is, do it for His glory and for the encouragement of others.
Until next time, stay beautiful! 💖
“Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 CEV
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Tremendous encouragement, Robyn. I’m excited to see how you incorporate your word “celebrate” in the new year!
I am so glad that you were encouraged, Horace! I am looking forward to seeing how I incorporated my word of the year, too! Thank you!