Discover Your Purpose with Five Questions
“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” – 1 Timothy 2:4
Last week, I wrote about discovering your purpose and why living with a strong sense of your purpose was important. Perhaps you resonated with the idea of finding your calling in life, but you struggle with where to start. While clarifying your purpose can certainly take some work, it’s a worthwhile endeavor to help you envision how to find more fulfillment and meaning in life. As you begin to understand your purpose, you’ll also position yourself to make a greater impact on your family and community.
With this in mind, I’d love to help you think about what your unique purpose could be. Here are five questions that may give you ideas or spur your imagination:
- How do I want people to remember me? Think about what your friends and family may say at your funeral. What sort of legacy do you want to leave behind? This may reveal clues about your purpose or calling in life.
- If I could wave a magic wand and fix one problem in the world, what would that be? Frederick Buechner once said, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” In other words, your purpose may lie at the intersection between your deepest passions and the world’s current problems and issues.
- What gives me energy? What could you do for hours and never get bored or tired? Each person is built differently, and identifying what naturally brings you joy can easily help you discover your purpose.
- What do I do better than 90% of people in the world? Proficiency or natural aptitude can also reveal your purpose. There’s a chance that God blessed you with unique skills and abilities to point you toward your calling.
- If money was no object, how would I spend my time? Imagine that you would make the same amount of money regardless of your job. What kind of work would you choose to do? When you remove money from the equation, you measure success with different metrics (fulfillment, impact, etc), and you better understand your values and passions.
I encourage you to spend time in prayer as you think about how to discover your purpose that God has chosen for your life. Ask for wisdom and clarity as you look for opportunities to use your gifts and serve the people around you. Your relationship with God will grow as you think about the plans God has for your life.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8