Finding Purpose, Part II
Friday, September 23
Finding Purpose, Part II
Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you being. Colossians 4:17
The secret to discovering your purpose in God is by first determining your gifts and strengths. God has given you very specific gifts and strengths. Maybe you’re a math whiz or a wise counselor. Maybe you have a mind for electronics or are great at organizing people and getting things done. God’s purpose for you probably involves the things you’re already good at. This is where education can be particularly valuable. Going to college or going back to college allows you to discover your gifts and then determine how you’re going to use them. It also connects you with people who want to help you find your purpose.
Marc Agronin, a psychiatrist at Miami Jewish Health, wrote in a recent blog “During a routine visit with your doctor, you anticipate questions about your diet, weight, smoking and drinking. But there’s one important health-related question our doctors never ask, but should: ‘What’s your sense of purpose in life?’”
Once you’ve discovered your purpose then you will find renewed hope. The word ‘hope’ suggests the possibility that what one desires or longs for will happen. Hope gives us a reason to get up and move on each day. But how does one become hopeful? By discovering their God given purpose.
Researchers have found that purpose is as great a factor in health and longevity as exercise. Hope adds onto it as well. It improves our body’s stress response, fosters healthier behaviors, and reduces certain cardiovascular risk factors.
Trying to discover your life purpose can be a stressful, overwhelming thing. It can seem like such a big, confusing, frustrating subject. You want to move forward, but you’re not sure how. You want to find your purpose, but you feel like you’re aimlessly wandering. But you can trust God to lead you where he wants you to go. As Psalm 23:2-3 says, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Trust in God to lead you as you discover your purpose in life.