And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Romans 8:28 (NLT)
One of the greatest challenges we all face in life is discovering our God-given purpose and identity. For most, it’s a life-long journey that can be both daunting and intriguing. The search usually begins somewhere around adolescence and continues up to the day we die.
It’s a God-given quest, primarily due to the fact that God puts so much purpose within the human heart that we can’t grasp it all at once. Even if we wanted to, it would overwhelm us to see all that God has planned for us.
Each of us has a divinely implanted sense of purpose—a spiritual DNA if you want to call it that, hence the reason for the incessant search. This could help explain why our adolescent teens are accused of being rebellious. Their quest for meaning has begun!
Our lives are linked with purpose—with God’s purpose. We are connected to something bigger than us.
Is it any wonder that our hearts are always searching?
Is it any wonder why we sense there is more?
Is it any wonder why we sense divine stirrings and our hearts are restless until we discover our purpose?
So, where does one begin the arduous task of understanding his purpose? For many, it starts with the development of self-awareness. Self-awareness is simply the ability to assess one’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions in order to make good, healthy choices. It is the ability to discern what is going on in the inner life.
God is trying to get us to understand ourselves unpretentiously. That is, understanding what is truly happening within. That is why self-awareness is such a necessary trait.
Many of the lessons we learn in life come from prefabricated situations in which God sets us up to see what’s really happening on the inside. Take Deuteronomy 8:2 for example: “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find our whether or not you would obey his commandments.” God set the Israelites up for an accurate disclosure of themselves; however, much like us, they didn’t get it.
Self-awareness is a great gift!
What else might be needed? Well, what about input from seasoned saints? The fact is, we can never be all that God meant for us to be without strong people who speak into our lives. He often uses relationships to take us to the next level in life.
Insight from the Holy Spirit is also an absolute must. One might continually develop a personal relationship with the heavenly dove to see their purpose and identity clearly.
The key question is this: have you started your search for purpose and identity? Or have you given up? It’s much too early to quit! Remember, God has a unique purpose for your life.
