A thousand thoughts might be flashing through your mind regarding what you want for your life. However, you can achieve the highest degree of meaning in your life only by embracing God’s purpose for your life.
Questions you might be asking yourself could include:
Why am I here?
What is the meaning of my life?
God wants you to find answers to these questions through your walk of faith and as your relationship with Him grows. He fully intends you to experience true meaning in your life. Experiencing life’s meaning begins with:
- Deep understanding of God’s love
- Knowing who you are in Christ, and
- Profound awareness of the amazing legacy you have in Christ
Finding and pursuing your purpose is a lifelong journey. Continue to place your trust in God, seek after His will for your life with all your heart, and allow his divine wisdom to guide you as you move forward.
Here are 5 Ways To Live Your Life With Purpose…
1. Love God above all else
We read in Deuteronomy 6:5, the core duty of every human being is, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (ESV, also verses 11:13, 13:3, 30:6).
We also see this reiterated in the New Testament by Jesus Himself (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). This is the core foundation of human existence; to love God first.
When one bases their life on any other foundation, they cannot live their life to the fullness. God created us to be in fellowship with Him. When we are not, our lives are out of sync with reality.
The Christian’s love of God must be at the center of their walk of faith. It must be the reason we choose to do ministry or any other task God has called us to do.
When you put God first, you are putting yourself in a position for Him to use you for His purpose.
2. Study God’s Word
The apostle Paul tells us that we should not let the philosophies of the world change the way we think, but we should ‘renew our minds’ to think thoughts that God would have us think (Romans 12:2).
Paul also instructs us to think on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8 ESV).
Where do we get the means by which to ‘renew our minds’? How do we decide what fits the description of those things Paul insists we ponder? God’s Word, the Bible, contains all we need; to know what God expects from us and how we should live as His special children.
It is vital that believers spend time reading and studying the Bible in order to “have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16 ESV).
The Bible is the soil from which our faith grows and where faith grows, miracles blossom!
3. Pray for guidance
When we pray for guidance and look to God for direction we have a better chance of living out our purpose. If you are one to try to figure it out on your own, you may find yourself going around in circles.
Living the Christian life is much more than merely signing a card or saying a simple prayer.
Prayer is simply communicating with God. It is an outward expression of our love for, and trust in, Him. We may pray for healing or help.
We may pray for guidance. We may simply pray to thank God for who He is and what He means to us.
The important thing is that we, “… pray without ceasing…” (I Thessalonians 5:17 ESV). This means that our hearts and minds are constantly in tune with God. Many times, this continual prayer changes us, bringing us in line with God’s will.
4. Protect your personal integrity
There are a lot of get rich quick , fast money making schemes available at our fingertips with a quick google search.
But, do they align with your Christian values? Do you have to deceive others for your profit?
How we Christians conduct ourselves in public can be a powerful witness for Jesus. If we strive to be honest and truthful in all our personal and business relationships people will see that we are different from those who care nothing for honesty and do whatever it takes, ethical or unethical, to get what they want.
Christians are instructed to, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15 ESV).
5. Live out your faith
It’s not enough to pray for guidance if you’re not willing to take a step of faith.
In the book of James, we read, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (1:22 ESV).
A person who merely assents to the truths of God’s Word in his or her mind, but never acts on those beliefs, may not even be saved. They might simply be deceiving themselves.
Paul says in Romans 2:3 that, “it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified” (ESV).
James tells us that, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (2:26 ESV). A belief that is not authentic enough to influence one’s actions is probably not a belief that one holds very seriously.
However, these works spoken of are not a list of rules and regulations that one must attempt to follow.
Jesus makes it clear that the works consist of following God’s will, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”(Matthew 7:21 ESV).
Our desire should be to please God by doing what He wants us to do.
Throughout your purpose journey, there will be resistance. For the devil takes no pleasure in your pursuing and achieving your God-given purpose. So your commitment to God’s plan for your life must be under-girded by your faith in Him.
The verses are encouraging you to stand firm when you face adversity, and don’t don’t lose your confidence. Is this just confidence in yourself? No, it is confidence in God, who choose you for a specific purpose, and who empowered you through the Holy Spirit to achieve it.
God started the good work through you, and he will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). It is not about your strength and abilities, but about God’s power that is at work you. God is able to do exceedingly great things, and he is doing them through you (Ephesians 3:20).
Joshua stood firm and found courage at a difficult time when was about to assume leadership of the Israelite. As you continue on your journey to achieve your God-given purpose, receive by faith the same encouragement that God gave to Joshua:
““Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7).
Focus Verse: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35, 36, NIV).
Focus Questions: What is it that is distracting you, or preventing you from moving forward in your God-given purpose? Reflect on the words of encouragement, then allow the Holy Spirit to show you how God can move you into the place he wants you to be.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you than no matter how difficult the journey becomes, you are my present help. So I take courage in knowing that you are faithful to you promises, and you will see me victoriously to the end. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.”
