Discovering One's True Purpose:
Living Purposefully For The Lord

By T. Phillips

So often, people have questioned the reason for our existence in this life.  They have asked themselves, "Why am I here?"  They have asked others, "What is the meaning of life?"  Yet, to this day, no one (in the scientific realm, at least) has been able to give a credible answer.  Some have tried, of course.  Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a professor at Northwestern Illinois University, was probably the most well known, as he had initiated a survey that was sent to 250 highly esteemed philosophers and intellectuals (including famous authors, historians, scientists, psychologists, and others), asking, "What is the meaning of life?"  The varied responses to the question were later published in a book, The Meaning Of Life, but the answer proved to be more difficult to acquire than Professor Moorhead may have expected – for, as it turned out, no one truly knew the answer.

In his book entitled The Purpose Driven Life, author and pastor Richard Warren writes, "There is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life.  It's revelation.  We can turn to what God has revealed about life in His Word.  The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it.  The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God."

Without focusing too much on the "big picture" of the meaning of life, although that scientifically puzzling answer will also be revealed by way of the Scriptures, this article will cover 5 points for the child of God who is sincerely hoping to learn more about the purpose of his or her own life.  And, as in any situation, the best place to start is by asking God.

Asking God For Instruction

If you've ever read the complete story of King David, a mighty warrior who defeated many armies in the name of The Lord, you may have noticed that before each battle he was to be engaged in, he often sought The Lord for instruction, asking whether He would have him to go into the war or not.  This is a great lesson for the child of God, and it's one that should be practiced daily.  Each morning when we wake, our first thought shouldn't be, "What do I want to do today?"  Our focus should be on what God would have for us to do, and the only way we can have the answer to that is to ask Him.

In James 1:5, we are told, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  David's son, the young King Solomon, learned the truth of this statement even before it was written.  After his request for an understanding heart, due to his concerns of being named king at his age at the time, God not only granted him a wise and understanding heart that none had ever had before, and that none would ever have after him, He also gave to him riches and honor like no other among the kings throughout his lifetime, for which Solomon hadn't asked.  [Scripture reference: 1 King 3:5-14]

It goes without saying that the point of mentioning Solomon's request isn't for us to try our own version of it with the self-serving idea of getting more in return, although God is indeed "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." [Ephesians 3:20]  The point is that it is good to ask God for wisdom and an understanding heart concerning His will for us in each of our individual lives.  We never hesitate to ask friends or relatives, our pastors or other church members, for their opinions or advice (not that it isn't acceptable, even recommendable to consult with other Christians at times), but God should never be the last one on our lists.  He should be the first.

Another point in asking God for enlightenment is, after we have prayed, to not jump into anything too quickly until we are certain of His will for us.  "Be slow to take new steps in The Lord's service, or in your business, or in your families," the late George Müller once advised to those who desire the will of God.  "Weigh all in the light of the Holy Scriptures and in the fear of God.  Seek to have no will of your own in order to ascertain the mind of God regarding any steps you purpose to take, so that you can honestly say you are willing to do the will of God, if He will instruct you."

When we consider God in our lives, we become more particular about the things we do, the places we go, the clothes we wear, the things we say, and even the things we think.  To be in constant communication with The Lord is to give up self and the things dictated to us by society, then to live as if we have no will of our own.  Our will becomes a desire to seek for God's instruction – "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure," Philippians 2:13 – and to act only on those things that He has purposed for us to do.

For instance, suppose you are looking for a new job.  For whatever reason, whether it's financial concerns or personal grievances, you've come to the point where you feel it's time to move on.  For the sake of this illustration, we'll assume you're right.  God has placed it in your heart to move on, so it really is time for a change.  All of a sudden, you receive not only one offer for work, but two separate prospects.  Both jobs pay well enough, both are located in your home area with free weekends, and both have an opening for possible advancement within the company.  So what are you going to do?  Are you going to just pick one and hope for the best?

Writer C.S. Lewis once said, "There are two kinds of people: Those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have it your way.'"  It could be that God would have you to wait altogether for something else entirely, but if you never take the time to ask and then move ahead too quickly in making your own decision, you could end up with more problems than you thought you had to begin with.

As the wise King Solomon had later written in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  This applies to everything in our lives, from professional hopes to personal desires, but, as a side note of caution, it is also important to take care with the things we ask of God.  In other words, when you know something wouldn't be pleasing to Him, such as going to a bar or to a casino, it is tempting Him to ask if you can do it anyway.  You already know the answer, so there's no point in asking.  We work for the truth, not against, as the Apostle Paul had said in 2 Corinthians 13:8 – "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth."

You Are Here For A Reason

We, as a general people, have become so enthralled with our own lives, our own goals and aspirations, that we seem to have forgotten we were created for a reason.  You may not understand why different things have had to take place in your life, but no matter how big or how small it may have seemed, whatever it was, it happened for a purpose.  And that includes your physical birth into this life.  It's possible that your parents didn't plan for your birth, but God did.  "While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children," Richard Warren continues in his book.  "Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God....God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes.  He has a reason for everything He creates."

It's difficult to fathom how a parent could allow their child to believe that he or she was a mistake, but it happens.  Maybe they really believe it, maybe society at large believes it, but for any person who has lived their life with this type of knowledge, know this: You are here for a reason.  Even children who were born due to such tragic events as rape, or those whose lives were aborted even before they began, serve a purpose in God's Divine plan.  You could exist for only a moment, and there would still be a reason for it.  "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s." [Romans 14:8]

It is a great blessing to have parents who love us, who would give all that they have for us, but because it is a reality that this isn't always the case, it doesn't mean that children born in such situations are any less of God's plan.  In some instances, these same children (obviously not the ones whose lives were ended through abortion or abuse) are called by God's grace to rise above their familial backgrounds and to go on to do genuinely noble things throughout their lifetimes in the name of The Lord.  For an example, read the story of Joseph to see how he had prospered by God's grace and then returned good for evil to his brothers after all that he had suffered.

But on the subject of sinful conceptions and life-terminating actions, for some it might be necessary to add that God is not the cause of the depravity of mankind.  Without the intervening blood of Christ and God's restraining hand, we are all more than capable of sin, as we prove daily, nor do we live above some sins we think to ourselves we would never be guilty of.  This is not a justification of the wrongs we commit; it's simply a reminder that sin lies within fallen man, not within God.  I remember a poem/prayer I had read once by an unknown author that said, "Whatever my darkness is, Tis not O Lord of Thee; The light is Thine alone, the shadows all my own."  Whoever the writer of these words had been, he or she certainly understood the Biblical truth that sin is of man, not of God.

Although this article is intended for those who have already been called unto salvation and have at least a working knowledge of the Doctrines of Grace, this particular section applies to everyone, both the elect and non-elect alike.  We are all here for a reason, as it is written in Proverbs 16:4, "The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil."  Judas Iscariot, who betrayed The Lord for a mere thirty pieces of silver, was here for a reason (though The Lord declared in Mark 14:20 that it would have been better for him had he never been born).  Esau, who despised his birthright and sold it for one morsel of meat, was here for a reason (though God's hatred of Esau was pronounced in Genesis 27:41, Malachi 1:3, and Romans 9:13).  Cain, who slew his brother Abel in anger and jealousy, was here for a reason.  Delilah, who betrayed Samson into the hands of his enemies, was here for a reason, as were countless others.

The list of the stories back then and those today could go on and on, for both male and female, yet even though there have been many morally incorrupt people to walk the face of this earth, and will be more until the end comes, the fact remains that each still have and have had a reason for being here.  If we had never known such darkness, could we have ever appreciated God's light?  It makes me more grateful for the purpose of God's children being here, which leads to the next point.

There Is Only One True Purpose

Throughout the average person's life, it seems that there are many purposes to be fulfilled.  And in a very real sense, this statement is true.  From day to day, hour to hour, even minute to minute, each of these "purposes" leads to the next purpose, which leads to the next, and to the next, until, eventually, the end of one's life leads to his or her last fulfilled purpose here on earth.  This is confirmed in Ecclesiastes 3:1, where it says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

So all of this is true.  "Every purpose" in this verse implies that there is, unquestionably, more than one purpose to be fulfilled.  But concerning God's single purpose of one's life (as well as in response to that big question of the meaning of life), it is simply this.  We are here for God's glory.  And in giving glory to Him, we do this in specifically designed and Divinely decreed ways, which we could think of as the purposes within the purpose.  The ways God has given me to bring glory to His name may not be the same as the ways He has given you, but the main purpose for both of our lives remains the same.  Everything you have been, all of who you are now and will become, each "purpose" that has been fulfilled in your life – it is all connected to this one purpose of giving glory to God.

According to Isaiah 43:7, in a prophecy concerning the return of Israel, God's Word assures, "Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him."  [Emphasis added.]

It is important to understand this one true purpose before we are better able to understand individual purposes throughout our lives.  When we know what we're working toward, it makes it easier to understand why things like taking a detour to talk to a woman at a well in Samaria was so important.  It was The Lord's personally chosen purpose and destiny to seek and to save those which were lost (which, in turn, was also for His glory), and as He had, thankfully and so unlike the rest of us, never once lost sight of His main purpose, each individual purpose He fulfilled – from His immaculate conception to His victorious resurrection – is made even more clear.  It could be that we are purposed to talk to our own person at a well somewhere, and now, because of The Lord's example, we won't have to wonder about the reason why it seemed like we couldn't go anywhere else but to that specific spot at that specific time.  It was due to our ultimate purpose, which is and has always been to give glory to God.

This knowledge helps to not only understand why some things take place (trials, tribulations, burdens, even stress can cause a child of God to grow in grace and therefore to give glory to God), but it can also help with different decisions we make about what we should or shouldn't do in our lives on a daily basis.  If you are considering doing something, you could ask yourself, "Would it be pleasing to God for me to do this?"  Or if you're wanting to go somewhere, "Would going to this place give glory to God?"  When talking with someone, "Would God approve of the words I speak or the language I use?"  Even to stop and consider Him in this way is giving glory to God.

The word "glory," quoted above in Isaiah 43:7, is translated from the Hebrew word "kabowd," which, in addition to glory and glorious, means dignity, honor, honorable, and reverence, among other similar words.  But to take a closer look at honor and reverence: One definition of Honor is to show respect for, to bow down to.  Reverence is closely defined to this as a feeling of profound awe and respect and often love; an act showing respect, especially a bow.  In courthouses, a judge is referred to as "Your Honor;" in royalty, a king or queen is referred to as "Your Majesty."  Even in a large number of churches (not here), there are preachers who are referred to as "Reverend."

There is no greater Judge or King or Reverend than the very Lord of Lords and King of Kings Himself, so if we would give such respect to man, then isn't it to our own shame when we don't give more so to The Lord?

"Emperors are but the shadows of our King's imperial power," Charles Haddon Spurgeon was once quoted.  "Some call themselves kings by divine right, but what divine right have they?  Common sense laughs their pretensions to scorn.  The Lord alone has divine right, and to Him only does the kingdom belong.  He is the blessed and only monarch.  Nominal kings are set up and put down at the will of men or the decree of providence, but He is Lord alone, the Prince of the kings of the earth."

This is what giving glory to God is about.  Remembering who He is, the Great Lord God and Creator of all, in comparison to who we are, lowly servants who are only here to do as we're commanded to do.  We are to live our lives by giving respect and honor due to His Name and His Power by glorifying Him with our submission to His will and all of who He is.  This is our one true purpose.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God." [James 4:7]

When God Gives A Skill...

"For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." [1 Corinthians 12:8-11]

The meaning of these verses was touched on briefly in the above section.  As God's called elect, we have each been given our own gifts (skills and talents) in His service.  These would be "the purposes within the purpose" that had been mentioned.  When we receive a gift from The Lord, it is with the purpose of it being used for God's glory.  For each of our personal edification, this bears repeating.  When we receive a gift from The Lord, it is with the purpose of it being used.  For God's glory.  In other words, whatever our gift may be, it wasn't given to us to sit idle on a shelf.  The purpose is for it to be used.

In the parable of the talents, in Matthew 25:14-30, The Lord described a man who had given to his servants different amounts of money.  To one he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to another he gave one.  The one who had received five talents used it to make five more, and the one who had received two did the same and made two more.  The last who had only received one talent, however, dug a hole and buried his in the ground.  When their lord returned sometime after that, the one who had received five talents brought to him the other five he had gained and was blessed.  The one who had received two brought his other two and was also blessed.  Then came the last one.  He admitted he had been afraid, because his lord was a hard man, so his offering to him was to give back the one talent he had received.  He was severely reprimanded for not using his talent, then it was taken away from him and given to the one who had ten.

There are so many lessons that can be learned from this parable, but to keep with the topic here, the warning for not using what we have been given is plainly noted, as it is written in verse 29 of that same chapter, "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."

Before anyone stops here to think, Well, I don't have any skills or talents, so this isn't meant for me: "This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you." [Galations 5:8]  Naturally, there are some talents that are more obvious than others – we would all feel a little silly staring up at an empty pulpit if no one had been given the skill to preach – but when God is the one leading, even having the ability to run a dust rag over the backs of the church pews is a great service in His name.  For, as The Lord has said, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much..." [Luke 16:10]  Merely sitting on one of those pews, joining in the congregational singing, praying with those who pray, and listening attentively to the sermon when church is in attendance are even greater services.  Telling others about The Lord, giving an encouraging word to someone in need, all of these things may seem small, but when done in the right manner and with humility, it is pleasing to God and He is faithful to send His blessings in all areas of our lives.

Not only so, the more we exhibit our willingness to live our lives for God's glory, the more He will call on us to do.  Maybe we will then feel a strong desire to do more (it could even come in the form of desiring to learn a new skill or something we think of as a hobby), so what should we do?  Go back to the first point of this article, and start there.  Once we know it's something God has placed within our hearts, we should prayerfully move forward, leaning heavily on the Holy Spirit, and always be ready for the moment to use it for His glory.  It's difficult to be specific without knowing who might read these words at some point – God knows – but there are times when the skills we have may not seem at first as a way to honor God, though the time could come when they will.  In those cases, it may not yet be time for us to understand, or it could be that we need more practice for the skill to grow.  Just as we must study God's Word to show ourselves approved, we must also study in the developing of new abilities, so that when the time comes to use those skills in God's service, we will be ready.

Some examples I've personally noticed were during the building of our current church building, as well as the building of our church parsonage.  Our pastor received the skill long ago to build things, and he is very talented in carpentry work.  Yet when this skill was first received, would he have known that one day he would be called to use that same skill in such large projects for The Lord?  There were also the other men who helped, including an electrician and brother in Christ, who drove from Texas to Louisiana several times to share his skills, again also for The Lord.  The point is, we do what we've been granted the ability to do, and if the time hasn't yet come for us to use those abilities, then we wait until it does and pray often that God will remember us in His service.  And He will – for when God gives a skill, we are meant to use it.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." [1 Peter 5:8]

Live Purposefully For The Lord

With all of this said, this last point will, hopefully, be more of a simple encouragement to those who feel unable to live their lives as perfectly as this article might seem to dictate.  These words were written for each one of us, for instruction as well as admonition, but does it mean we will always be as faithful as we would like to be?  No, it doesn't.  What it does mean, however, is that we should strive, by God's grace, to be as faithful as possible to our own individual callings.  The Lord is our example, and He is the only one who has ever lived a perfect life.  The day will come when "we shall be like him" [1 John 3:2], but that day is not today.  If it were, writings of this nature would not be needed.  I'm not saying this for us to use it as a means of justifying sin; it's merely for the reminder that we're not perfect.  We will stumble, we will make mistakes, we will do and say things we later regret.  But, with the Holy Spirit as our guide, these things will also help us to grow in grace and knowledge of our precious Lord and Savior in becoming more and more like Him everyday.

Live purposefully for Him – with reverence to His Holy Name and humility in your spirits.  And do all things as unto Him alone.  "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s." [1 Corinthians 6:20]

Copyright © Northside Baptist Church.  All Rights Reserved.  Courtesy of Northside-Baptist.com and the Northside Baptist Church in Oakdale, LA.