Understanding God's Purposes for You
Before I understood what purpose was, I thought purpose was all about a job role or a career. I thought that my purpose was to be some sort of career woman and to do whatever in life made me happy. I imagined working my dream job, having the corner office and the dream husband, with enough money in my bank account to do whatever whenever I wanted. Now your picture of purpose might not have been as shallow as mine, but so many people’s idea of purpose focuses on their career or lifestyle.
The problem is that focusing on purpose being only a job or lifestyle will always lead you to a dead end. Even if the job or career you're in is a worthy or profitable cause, it will leave you devoid of fulfillment because you don’t know your why, your purpose. Sure, financial dependence, a great career, a nice home or husband may give you some happiness but only for a moment. On the other hand, if you put God and His purposes for you first, you may not have the money, man, or success, but you’ll have the joy and peace you were seeking those things to bring.
This is what happens when we shift from pursuing our own self-seeking purposes to God’s. When we measure our purpose in terms of money, success, fame, or other things that will make us “happy” we miss the whole point of it: to serve God and others. I always say your passions are for yourself and your purpose is for others. Unlike passions which focus on inward happiness, purpose always looks outward to the needs of others. That’s why it’s important that as we uncover and walk in our purpose that we understand the levels of purpose and how they fit into His plan.
The first level of purpose is about being. More than anything, God wants us to be in perfect unity with Him. That’s why He is constantly chasing after us (See Luke 15:4). He wants us to be one with and like Him. That means that sometimes He will prune us or remove anything from our life that doesn’t align with His will. So much of our purpose is understanding that our allegiance belongs firstly to Him. Being one with him and being submitted to His plan. Sometimes if we find ourselves going through hard or wilderness seasons, it’s so He can grab a greater grip on our heart. Our productivity for the Kingdom doesn’t mean much if He doesn’t have our hearts first.
The second level of purpose is all about doing. Your calling, mission, or assignment is all about the doing part of your purpose. This is how you live out your calling out: by serving God’s people. This is why purpose is not solely about a job or role. It’s a part of your purpose but not your purpose entirely. Remember God can always call you to something different or your assignment may change, but that doesn’t mean that you no longer have a purpose. Uncover who God has designed you to be and the message He’s crafted you to embrace. Then figure out how He’s calling you to live that message out.
The final level of purpose about your living-- living the lifestyle that God has designed you to live. While God does want us to succeed and be happy, our oneness and growth with Him are far more important. Therefore, sometimes your earthly happiness will be put on the back burner so He can accomplish His purposes through you. That doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to have healthy, wealth, or nice things, but they can’t come before God’s purposes and Kingdom.
Is your life in balance with God’s purpose and plan? The best way to make sure that you're fully walking in purpose is to know where you stand on the three levels. Reflect His purposes-- love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love and serve others as you love yourself.
Want to discover more about God-given purpose and designing a life that is in alignment with His plan? Download the Live On Purpose Lifestyle Guide.
