We all want to be needed. We all want to be good at something. I think most of us want to offer a service to the world. We want to leave it better than we found it. But how do we know what God intends for our lives? Do we each have a unique purpose? How do we find it? Can we choose wrong? I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about these questions. I’ve looked to scripture for insight. Below, I share my thoughts on how to find your unique, God-pleasing purpose in the world.
WHAT DOES GOD INTEND FOR OUR LIVES?
In scripture, we see that God speaks directly to Jeremiah, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). We read similar words from the Psalmist: “For you formed my inner parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). It’s clear that God is the master creator. He purposefully forms each one of us. We are not cosmic accidents. With the first passage, we see that God creates Jeremiah with a specific purpose in mind. He tells this purpose to Jeremiah. Are we all meant to be prophets, then? Are we each supposed to hear the voice of God? No and No. Let me explain.
God had a close relationship with many people in the Old Testament. Prophets like Jeremiah audibly heard the voice of God. So did Abraham and Moses and David. But scripture is clear in the New Testament that we’re not to look for this today. Hebrews 1:1 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” And if we turn to John 1:14 we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” God speaks to us today through the his Son who is the Word made flesh. God speaks to us through his Word (the Bible).
So what does God intend for our lives? He intends that we would live in relationship with him. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-31) is a great example of this. God holds a place for us. He celebrates our relationship. We are known. We are “found.”
DO WE EACH HAVE A UNIQUE PURPOSE?
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
In some sense, we have each been created with the same purpose. All of humanity has been created to be in a relationship with God. Through that relationship and because of that relationship, we then do good works in the world. I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for our good works, but my good works may look different from yours because we are each given unique gifts.
God places each of us into a unique time and place. We have family and friends and unique social interactions in life. I believe that God crafts these relationships with purpose. These are the people that we serve. These are the people who receive our “good works” in the world. When a mother or father cares for a child, they’re doing a good work. When a spouse cooks dinner or goes to work, they’re doing a good work for the family. They are providing, which is God-pleasing work.
The key to our unique purpose is in our life circumstances. God presents each of us with a uniquely different way to serve. We each have uniquely different people that we may serve. Our talents are different. Our passions are different. This is where our purpose is finely crafted to the individual. While God wants all of us to be in a relationship with him, the way in which we serve the world with “good works” is unique to our personal circumstances.
HOW DO WE FIND IT?
So how do we find our unique, God-pleasing purpose? Are we supposed to hear the voice of God? No. If I open the word, will I see the unique purpose for my life spelled out on the page? No. God has made us with free will. We can make choices in life. He wants us to make choices in life.
There is not one “right” purpose for each of us. It’s not like we have to somehow divine God’s will for our lives and then worry that we may have chosen wrong. God wants us to use the gifts we’ve been given for the service of his kingdom. There are many God-pleasing paths one might choose in life. It is God-pleasing when I teach children. It is God-pleasing when I write. Both use my gifts. Both fulfill my personal interests and passions. In both ways, I am doing good works for the kingdom of God.
What are you good at? What are your gifts? Your passions? How might these be good works for the kingdom of God? This is how you find your unique purpose. God wants to be in a relationship with you. Through that relationship, you learn who God has made you to be. You are not a mistake. You are exactly who you’re meant to be.
CAN WE CHOOSE WRONG?
We often make this question more complex than it needs to be. The only wrong choice is one that leads us away from a relationship with God. A wrong choice leads us away from God’s word. Remain in the word. Be faithful in prayer. When your lifestyle aligns with God’s word, you’ve chosen “right.” When you use your unique gifts to serve the kingdom of God, you’ve chosen “right.” If God’s will for you has been at the forefront of your decision making process, chances are, you’ve chosen “right.”
YOUR UNIQUE PURPOSE IS GOD-GIVEN AND GOD-PLEASING
Each of us is uniquely made, uniquely gifted, and uniquely placed. We have each been designed by God to be in a relationship with him and to serve his kingdom for his glory. If you don’t yet know your unique God-given, God-pleasing purpose, focus on your relationship with God. Read the word. Be in prayer. God will lead you to understand yourself as a child of God. Your gifts and passions have a place in the kingdom of God. This doesn’t mean you have to work for the church. You can serve the Lord as a teacher or lawyer or doctor or stay-at-home parent. Your unique, God-pleasing purpose awaits. By deepening your relationship with God, you will come to know yourself better. You will come to see your purpose by fully understanding God’s intentions for your life.
Whether we know our purpose now or have yet to find God’s will for our lives, we are loved, chosen, forgiven, and redeemed. Thanks be to God.
To read more about your unique purpose, look here.
