Our Nature is to crave our purpose and our meaning in life. 

Our general purpose that we all have is to Glorify God! But we also have specific assignments. Things that we have been born to do that God has called us to do. Though we are all called to Glorify God; He has a very specific way for me to do it. 

I think sometimes we overcomplicate this. I know I did, and still do.  There are days when I question myself and my abilities. Oh I say I’m questioning God, but really I’m questioning myself. And MY lack of faith sprouts its ugly head. 

Knowing your purpose clarifies 3 challenges we all face in our lives. 

Knowing your purpose will clarify your priorities. When we understand the specific story God wants us to tell it helps us arrange our priorities in life. I look back and I can see how my priorities changed as the seasons changed in my life.  When I was in school, I always knew, I would have to use basketball to pay for my college education. So that made my priorities look a lot different from the other girls in school. I didn’t have a lot of time the way everyone else did. I knew when I got home from school I had to do my homework and study. And I knew directly after that I was running. Every Day! Every day that it didn’t rain, I ran. It totaled 7 miles a day. Sometimes I ran bouncing a basketball and some days was just straight running. Then no matter what I would do shooting drills. Once we had a basketball goal out in the church parking lot by the cemetery. That was the only goal outside of school I had ever had to practice on. We moved around a lot because of my dad’s ministry So, I thought I was unstoppable that year! That was for one basketball season. The rest of the time I would lay on my back and shoot and visualize and do shooting drills from the floor of my bedroom. My life was very simple. It revolved around one goal. One long term goal and it made life very simple for what my days looked like. And I knew that I had to accomplish those tasks before I could do anything else. PERIOD. Without fail or exception. I knew the plan.

Knowing our priorities clarifies uncertainties in our life.

Paul says we should be wise when it comes to understanding God’s purpose.  Ephesians 5:15-17 says Be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore don’t be fools but understand what the will of the Lord is. When we are faced with difficult decisions in life, knowing your unique purpose Is like a beacon that gives us direction in the darkness. 

Knowing your unique purpose clarifies difficulties in your life.

When you understand your specific story that you were created to tell it gives you an entirely different perspective and how you view things. Especially how we view things when life gets hard. It’s so easy to start crumbling and questioning things and getting off track when life gets hard or when we are faced with difficult decisions. Man it was so easy for me to say yes and no to things when my priorities were non-negotiable. Because I knew exactly where I was going. From the 7th grade all through college I had very concise days.  I have had to get very uncomfortable as the seasons in my life have changed and how my unique story that God has for me will be told. As a new mom and then as an empty- nester things can get a little murky but the thing that keeps me on track or gets me BACK on track is knowing FIRST and FOREMOST that whatever the thing is, I am to solely Glorify God with it. 

So how can you discover God’s purpose?

Start with Scripture

Start with scripture. God’s Word is the starting place to discover who God created you to be.  2 Timothy 3:16- 17 says all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God my be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
we can read how God uses people in the Bible during all seasons that they face. How they handle difficult life decisions. The good the bad and the ugly and how God uses people to tell a story, even in the messiest parts, and seemingly impossible situations. Read the scripture and see who God uses and how he uses them. 

Talk to Others

Talk to others: Proverbs 13:10 & 20 says get wise counsel from others: v.10 says wisdom is with those who receive counsel. V 20 He that walkers with the wise shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. God has place people around you that will help you uncover God’s unique purpose for you. When God calls you to a unique purpose it’s confirmed by the body of Christ and the people around you.

– what are the things people tell you. I can’t tell  how many times people have told me Bethany you should be a teacher and a coach. There will be confirming signs. 

Obey Your Passsions

Obey your passions: ask yourself if money and eduction were not an object what would you want to do?  After salvation God transforms your heart. And the closer we walk with God the more our desires reflect God’s desires for our life. Another word for desire is passion. What is the passion and deep desire God has put in your heart? Sometimes our passion comes out of a deep hurt we have experienced. I have a friend who lost her son so suicide. And she has turned her journaling into a book. And she is will soon publish her years of documenting into something that may be able to help other moms who are going through the same loss.

Recognize your Gifts and Abilities

Recognize your gifts and abilities : Philiipians 2:13 says “for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure …will meaning desire and to do meaning ability. God will give you the desire and the ability to accomplish it.  God has given everyone of us the ability to accomplish the things he has called us to do.” Romans 12:3 says, ” do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think soberly(soundly) according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith.”

None of us can do ANYTHING or be Anything we want to be. I will never be an opera singer or a stand on a stage in that capacity and neither will I be able to be surgeon for the reasons of …. I do not have the vocal ability or giftedness no matter how much I sing and train. Nor can I stand the sight of blood in the capacity at which I would need to, to be a surgeon. We have to understand our natural limitations and more importantly our OWN personal natural gifts.  Take an inventory of what you are good at. I promise he’s given you the gifts according to his calling. When you find your giftedness and what you are good at, you will find your calling. 

Questions to ask yourself to find what you are gifted at.

1. What do I enjoy doing?
   
2. What are things I do that other people say , “ you were born to do that”  You make that look so easy or you’re so good at that.
   
3. What is it I do that seems effortless to me? If you are operating inside of your giftedness its not hard to do what you do. I was telling my oldest son this very thing this week. He was having to give oral arguments and appeals, see he is in law school. He is also a preacher. It is very easy for him to take on the role as he argues in front of judges and present because he stands before a congregation every Sunday and speaks. He is at an advantage among his peers because he is operating from his giftedness. He can formulate and speak a lot easier right now because that is one way God has called him. To be able to have an understanding of what he is reading and explain it and apply it and deliver it in front of people. – no pressure right? I on the other hand almost dropped out of speech because of people and public speaking.
4. What is the common denominator in the 3 most successful and satisfying things you’ve done in your life. For me its when I am in a communication situation and leadership.  Maybe for you it’s serving and meeting the practical needs of others or maybe it’s in leadership situations
   

Yield to the Holy Spirit

Yield : to the leading of the Holy Spirit. You can do all of the other things on this list but if you aren’t saying yes and obeying the urging of the Holy Spirit then you are missing the main component.  There will come a moment when you have to say yes Lord to his leading and calling in your life. Romans 12:1 and 2 says I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye may present yourself a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.  And be NOT conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
You have to yield to your calling once you’ve identified it.
 that is the scary part. The part the devil starts casting doubt and making you question your abilities and your qualifications . That’s when you start worrying what will others think.

If you would have told me even just 3 short years ago that I would be doing what I am doing now, I would not have ever thought that I would be. I look back now and see where God gave me an interest in things so I would be right here right now doing HIS will. And he has done the same for you.  What ever your job is … Your real job is to glorify God! And the specific way that you do that is through the gifts that he has given you.
Max Lucado says a formula for discovering your purpose in life is to use your uniqueness ( what you do ) to make a big deal out of God while you do it. Every day of your life ( that’s where you do it) at the convergence of all 3 you will find your sweet spot.

Listen to the podcast episode here