Was 2020 a bad experience for you?

Difficult times of struggle and suffering stimulate important questions, such as, “Why am I here? Does my life have any purpose? Does God have a reason for my being?”

Before I became a Christian, my purpose was to make money, be successful, and have fun. While I got pretty much everything I wanted, it became a life of “so what,” of emptiness and unfulfillment. I craved something more, like happiness and joy.

Then my neighbor introduced me to a pastor who introduced me to Jesus Christ. My life changed. It was not something I needed. It was Someone I needed. God’s Son. Early on I learned what happened and why…

…by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as 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 so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Life Purpose in a Nutshell

A booklet by that name is written by my friend, Gary O’Malley, about a Biblical approach to discovering your unique individual purpose. With Gary’s permission, I am going to quote some key passages from his booklet.

• “Life purpose is the progressive realization of who God is and your willingness to be utilized to the full extent of His unique will for your life… what your life is adding up to and why. It is the main reason for getting up each morning… the reason for being. Life purpose asks these questions: Who is God? Who am I? Why am I?”

• “Don’t all Christians have the same purpose? Yes, all Christians have the same purpose in the universal sense… to love God and to seek first His kingdom. There is another purpose, however, a unique sense of purpose, which is individual, distinct, unparalleled and most significant for each and every person…”

• “Without purpose… problems are allowed to rule your life… your work becomes grievous… other’s expectations radically affect your choices… busyness substitutes for real accomplishment… past mistakes choke your dreams of the future… initiative and creativity are lulled to sleep… feelings dictate your behavior… the beautiful music inside you never come out!”

• “Discovering God’s unique purpose for your life does not come through human reason. Life purpose comes through God’s divine revelation. Consider this life purpose discovery model as you progressively gain the proper posture to come before the Lord to gain His viewpoint of your life: Past – Present – Personality – Passions – Burdens – Consecration – Purpose Statement.”

Wait! There is more. Gary has also given us permission for you to download the manuscript of his booklet for free. Just click on Life Purpose in a Nutshell and enjoy!

Check back next week as we continue with this topic of purpose with some specific tips about writing your own life purpose statement.

Brian Ray has been writing, speaking and connecting people to Christ in the workplace for 45 years. He is Co-Founder of Crossroads Career Services, former Chick-fil-A restaurants VP for Human Resources and Administration, and Owner of Primus Consulting executive search. He has authored Christian resources including Mastery of Leadership, Real Success at Work, and New Job Jump Start. Brian and his wife Kristy live in the Charlotte, NC area.