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“I want to be rich. I mean stupendously rich. Have lot and lot of properties, famous and powerful. That’s life to me, that is the life worth living for.”
“I just want to be successful in my chosen career and be comfortable. Have a closely knitted family, train my children for a career and retire at a ripe old age with a good pension. Then become a respectable elder in the community. That’s all I want, that to me is worth living for.”
“I just want to be successful in my chosen career and be comfortable. Have a closely knitted family, train my children for a career and retire at a ripe old age with a good pension. Then become a respectable elder in the community. That’s all I want, that to me is worth living for.”
“I just want to be able to have food on my table, wear good cloths and have a roof over my head. The rest is extra, I’m not bothered if they come or not. As long as I have those three things I will be satisfied with my life.”
These are some serious answers you will probably get for the question above. But there are other answers which you will probably consider as less serious response, which are considered sufficient as an answer by the people living by them. Some you will call drifting, some confused and some useless. But the important question really is… what are you living for?
OUTSTANDING PEOPLE HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: AN ABSOLUTE SENSE OF MISSION - ZIG ZIGLAR
Those three answers above have one thing in common – they do not answer the question. The question is asking for the purpose of their lives but they are describing the conditions of the life they desire. I will explain. An inventor creates a machine to be used for a purpose but to function at a particular condition. The condition is the well being of the machine, which is required for it to work efficiently. The purpose is the use the inventor expected the machine to serve. The question is asking for the use their lives are serving but they are describing the well being they desire for their lives.
This is the true dilemma of many people. We have substituted the condition we desire in our lives for the purpose to which our lives are created to serve. We spend all our energies, creativity and life span pursuing these conditions while the purpose to which our lives are supposed to serve is neglected.
What will you say of a car that is well maintained, well oiled, well protected and warmed every morning but never used to transport anybody? What will you say of a generator that is operated, refueled and serviced at due dates but never used to power any electrical appliances. What will you say of a life rich financially and materially but never fulfilled his purpose? It’s tragic and useless. Yet this is how many of us are living. Working very hard to achieve the well being we desire for our lives but becoming of no use to our creator, the world, our nation or community and leaving without a good report to give to our God.
It is important that we live under a good condition of life. That is the intention of our God and Creator. But it is useless if we live under a good condition of life but do not live fulfilling the purpose to which He creates our lives to fulfill. This is very important. It is very important for us to know what purpose God creates our life to fulfill and to live fulfilling it.
Now can I ask the question again? What are you living for?
STEPS TO DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE
1. The creator and the inventor of our lives is God. It is Him that knows the purpose to which He has created each of our lives. If we must know and discover our purpose in life, we must go to Him. We must start a relationship with Him. We must get to Know Him and walk with Him. “You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt. Nothing about me is hidden from you! I was secretly woven together deep in the earth below, but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything I would do.” – Psalm 139:13-16 (CEV)
2. God has an operational manual for our lives like every other inventor. In it He made known the general purpose of creation and the way He intended life to be lived. If we must know and discover our purpose in life, we must study this manual diligently. We must get acquainted with the general purpose of life and our Creator’s ways for living. This manual is the Bible, God’s inspired word. “Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds.” – 2Timothy 3:16,17 (CEV)
3. God’s words prepare our heart to know Him, doing the word leads us to meet Him. When we meet Him He shows Himself to us and reveal to us our specific purpose in life. It is when we walk according to His general purpose for creation and live in the way He intended life to be lived that we can begin to know Him. He begins to manifest Himself to us and reveal to us His specific purpose for our lives. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” – John 14:21 (NIV)
