When you find your purpose only in desires, direction and destinations based in this world, though the external outcome of your efforts may be similar, the results inside of you can be quite different. The expectations and standards of the world are quite different from God’s.
The Word declares that when we receive from the Lord, our experience will be different than receiving from the world. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV)
1 Corinthians 10:31 teaches us “whether you eat or drink of whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Our general purpose as believers is to glorify God, and we can only fully do so when our desires align with His, our direction is obtained from Him, and our destination is where He is calling us to go. And this is also when we will experience the most true and lasting fulfillment in our lives.
So if you don’t find your purpose in God and seek His guidance for how you spend your time and efforts, the fruit you produce in your life, the lives of others, and the Kingdom may be different than what following the direction of the Lord would have produced.
What the Bible Says About Finding Your Purpose
On your own, you can make plans to carry out many good things, but only what is based within the Lord’s purposes will be truly successful when considering Kingdom focus.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV) When God reveals your purpose and you invite Him to work within you and your endeavors, His wisdom, power and guidance will lead you on paths you might not have taken, open doors that may have remain closed, and empower you to do things you could not do on your own.
Ephesians 2:10 reveals that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” So God created you for a purpose–a specific mission that you are specially designed to fulfill.
Finding your purpose in God will help you to maximize use of all the unique gifts, abilities and passions God has planted inside of you, as well as minimize regrets from missed opportunities.
3 Reasons to Find Your Purpose in God Instead of the World
In my video I share why it’s better for you to be intentional to seek the Lord to reveal and lead you in your purpose instead of only relying on the information you draw from this world, and the impact this choice makes within yourself and your life.
The world can tend to focus on recognition, money, followers and likes to determine success. It also often hinders your freedom to be your authentic self as you conform to what is acceptable or trending at the time.
But God does not change and neither does your value based on what you do. His love for you and your worth to Him are so great that they cannot even be measured as they are unconditional because of your relationship with Him.
As you grow closer to God, you will learn more about your specific purpose. You may be thinking, “I’m in prayer for God to reveal my purpose,” but don’t yet have clarity on what it is. If you’re asking yourself, “How do I discover my purpose in God?”, you can find some practical steps to fulfilling your God-given purpose in my article on this topic.
Discovering what you uniquely contribute to this world for God’s glory will not be found just from your own ideas or from the world’s opportunities. It will be found through surrendering to God, growing in the mind of Christ, and sensing the leading of the Holy Spirit.
And when you walk with God instead of the world, you will be productive in what really matters, produce more meaningful success in Kingdom terms, and experience more fulfillment within yourself than you would focusing on the world.
Coaching Reflections:
- In what areas might you be seeking the world’s approval vs. resting in God’s acceptance?
- Where are you basing your value on your performance vs. inviting God in to take the lead?
- Where are you feeling pressure and know you need to seek God’s guidance and resulting peace?
If you need support to explore how to find your purpose in God instead of in the world, I invite you to contact me to schedule a free “From Tired to Inspired” Strategy Session to determine personalized next steps on your path.
