How Can You Know What Your Purpose Is

I was sitting in a Sunday School class just recently at my home church, when someone asked the instructor the question, "How can an individual know for sure what their purpose is?" I listened with great interest at the responses given her - all of which were good. When the instructor asked her if she was satisfied that her question had been answered, she nodded her head yes, but her eyes said no. Plus, there were many others in the room, who looked just as unsure as she did. I knew the look well - as a seminar and workshop presenter, I've been asked the same question many times in the past several years. I wanted to raise my hand to add my opinion to those already given, but I felt that probably much of what she had been given had served to deepen her sense of unknowing rather than easing it.

I feel certain that as this woman continues to insist on an answer to this question, that she will no doubt find it. In fact, it is the seeking to know one's purpose that ultimately provides insight to purpose. I would also say to you, if you too are secretly perplexed by a sense of not knowing what you were born into this earth-realm to do - that most often it is the case that we find ourselves doing what we were born to do. In other words, what is it that you are most passionate about? If someone were to ask someone who knows you well what turns you on, what would the answer be?

For example, my closest friends would probably tell you that the thing I talk about most is seeing people set free of controlling habits, bondages of whatever kind, negativity, unforgiveness, and past failures. My purpose in life is to set people free. Hence, I always find myself positioned to encourage, inspire, motivate, bless, uplift, and provide godly counsel to people who are stuck. In this instance, what I was born to do creates avenues and opportunities for me to do it. To clarify further, my purpose is not necessarily what I do in terms of my occupation or even my ministry - rather, these are expressions of my purpose. Finally, I will leave you with a powerful example that Bishop TD Jakes gave in a message about being confident that God is guiding your life so that you don't miss divine purpose. He shared with the listening audience that he struggled - as a teacher - to think of a way to illustrate the point of God's guiding hand in our lives. Frustrated, he started his journey to his church that morning and when he climbed into his car, his attention was immediately drawn to the GPS system in his vehicle. As the Holy Spirit began to speak to him, he saw a powerful example through the GPS device.

He explained that when he sets the destination, as he is traveling, the device is silent. It will not given a command for a new direction, until it is time for a new turn. Jakes pointed out that sometimes the silence of the device may bother him and can make him feel that he has lost connection - but a nudge of the device results in the audible consolation, "keep straight." In other words, you are where you should be, doing what you need to do for this day and this moment - just keep doing what you do. Let's say he makes a wrong turn in his effort to obey its directions (as we sometimes do in life because of distractions, bad counsel, misguided intentions, etc), the GPS will re-calibrate itself to get him to the destination he wants to go in. Isn't that wonderful? My purpose never changes - even when I mess up, I was still born to do what I was born to do! What a marvelous example of God's guidance in our lives. If we seek to know what our "Why" is for being alive, God will guide us for certain and we should never be afraid that we are out here alone and on our own. We are never alone in this search to find our way home, and even if we make a wrong turn in our earnest to know, we can rest assured that God will re-calibrate our wrong turns so that we wind up where we belong!