Living Life on Purpose

It’s the middle of March already. February seemed like it was only 2 weeks long. How many of us have already gotten off track from our goals and “resolutions” for the year? This year is off to a rough start, with Covid still looming, record breaking ice storms, extra hours at work, and everything else going on in my life. Life continues to happen and we get distracted from our goals. Sometimes, as life events happen, we see a new direction or a new goal that we may want to work toward. But, is it something we should pursue?

I’ve read a lot about having a definite purpose for your life. I have read some good books that I have learned a good bit from and they have helped me grow as a person. They sometimes help me stay on track and focused on a goal and be able to reach accomplishments I may not have reached had I not stayed focused. We all want to have that “something”. That something that drives us to be successful. That one thing that we are really good at and everyone around us knows it. That one thing that brings meaning to our lives. Sometimes, though, I have become so invested in trying to identify my purpose and finding that “one thing” that I don’t even realize I am already exactly where I need to be and living that life. Sometimes being driven by a “purpose” can be paralyzing.

Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I wonder if I am on the right path and doing the right things. When I’m feeling like that, I sometimes want to stop and evaluate life. I don’t want to move down any path because it may not be the “right” path. I become paralyzed by a need to be focused on a purpose. Too often, I try to tie that purpose to a career, or a skill set, or a talent. Something that I do. But, maybe my one thing is not something I do, it is who I am.

I understand the “Power of Focus” and the “Purpose Driven Life”. These are traits that are beneficial and lead toward successful people and organizations (and good books). But sometimes these traits also lead to becoming so focused on a goal or a “purpose” that we miss the opportunities God puts in front of us because they don’t fit into our “purpose”. Some people have a single purpose in life that drives everything they do. Some people don’t. We can sometimes spend years of our life trying to find our one single purpose, or we can choose to live our life every day.

God has given each of us a gift. Something we are good at. Maybe it is a talent or ability, or maybe it is serving and being nice to people. It may be something that puts us out in front of people to be noticed, like performing or speaking or athletics, or it may be something in the background that keeps everything running but goes completely unnoticed by the general public. Whatever that gift is, don’t be so completely focused on that gift that we miss opportunities to stretch ourselves and grow. Opportunities to get out of our comfort zone and live life a little differently today.

Having a purpose is good, but maybe you are already living in your purpose and just don’t realize it. Like me, how many opportunities have you missed because they didn’t fit your idea of what you should be doing? How many days have you come home from work and said “I have got to find something else to do” or “my job is keeping me from being able to do what I need/want to be doing”. Maybe it’s time for a job change, or maybe it is time to look at your life a little differently and start looking for the opportunities that are all around you. The question is not “what do I want to be doing”, but “what does God want me to be doing”. Maybe I am already exactly where I need to be. Who’s kingdom am I seeking?

I like to write and I want to reach people through my writing. I enjoy being creative. I often feel like the hours and the mental and emotional energy that goes into my job takes away from my creativity and ability write. It takes away from my “purpose”. But what I often fail to see is all of the ministry I am doing through my work and all of the opportunities around me every day to speak into the lives of other people. Maybe I am already exactly where God wants me to be.

If you want to find your purpose, don’t stop living your life. Just keep going, looking for opportunities to serve people, try new things, and get out of your comfort zone. But be cautious before making changes. I know people that bounce from job to job, church to church, or town to town because they feel God is calling them to make that change. Perhaps that is true, and I don’t presume to know what God is calling them to do. But, sometimes I have to wonder if God is constantly calling them to change, or are they trying to find something? I can’t really answer that, but I wonder if God was calling you so strongly to do something two months ago, did God change?

It is easy for me to stop what I am doing when things start to get a little bit hard and move on to the next thing. I have spent most of my life as a great starter, but a really bad finisher. Trying to find that one thing has left a trail of unfinished projects. Anyone who has been to my house can see the evidence of that with my multitude of mostly finished remodel projects. But maybe the project wasn’t my “purpose”. Maybe it was the people that I got to know or the skills and discipline I learned while doing that project. I pray that in my trail of unfinished projects, I did not leave a trail of “unfinished” relationships.

What I need to do is learn to life life where I am, even if it is a little hard or a little boring. Develop the discipline to finish. I am exactly where I need to be, I just need to look at life through the filter of seeking God’s kingdom, rather than my own. I need to live life everyday full of faith, family, and fun.