One of our most important challenges is how to pursue God’s plan for our lives. It is not easy to understand its origin and journey. I was having a conversation with a friend of mine from Honduras. We talked about her children and the life decisions they are facing. Her children are young adults. The challenge is figuring out their path in life. They each have passion but do not feel their passions are their purpose.
A point of reference: In Genesis 13, Abram gave Lot the choice of any land. Lot chose the well-watered, fertile land, but with it came Sodom. Abram took the less attractive but with God’s blessing. When we make choices, don’t look at the most attractive; seek guidance from the Lord.
Understanding our Purpose
Understanding purpose is an exciting subject. One can follow a dream that is not part of God’s plan created for them and find success from a worldly standard. I know that from experience. When driving myself along a worldly path, I achieved reasonable success regarding money, power, and position, but I was never content. I was using all the skills and resources provided by God, but not for their intended purpose. This pursuit left a hole in my life that no level of success could fill. This hole drove me to higher levels of worldly success as I attempted to reach satisfaction. With all my success, I did not have meaning and purpose; I had a vocation that I had become good at. A small caveat: just because you are good at something does not mean it is your God-given purpose in life. It might mean that you have done it so long that you have learned to do it proficiently.
Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
In the book Discovering Our Spiritual Identity by Trevor Hudson, he discusses the concept of being created for God and God’s pleasure. I’ve always viewed the concept of God’s pleasure as the macro-level cloud that all Christians should strive to achieve. The concept is that we have lived a life that pleases God, or we haven’t. Hudson’s concept is that we are created uniquely, within that greater concept, for a specific pleasure God has foreseen. The idea is that when he created us, he instilled in us a purpose that pointed directly toward something that pleased Him. Each of us is part of a tapestry that displays an image pleasing to God, but we each have our specific element within the overall picture.
Sustainability
Several concerns always arise when we try to understand God’s plan for ourselves. The first is, can it sustain us? If our passion is writing, painting, public speaking, music, or whatever, can we make a living at it? What kind of kingdom impact could we have if it does not sustain us? In a modern world, this is always a valid question. What good is a passion if it can not support the person with the passion? The passion dies out.
A couple of things come to mind when I hear this; the first is that Paul was a tent maker. Paul sustained his ministry by making tents. Regardless of our life purpose, we may sometimes have to make tents.
Acts 18:3-5, “They made tents for a living. Paul did the same kind of work, so he stayed with them, and they worked together.”
Tent-making is about sustaining ourselves to pursue our God-directed passion and purpose. We may make tents all our lives or during a transition period, but we all have tent-making seasons.
The second is that when we pursue God’s will, He will give us resources. When I look for a mechanic to work on my car, I look for someone passionate about cars. I want someone who will look after my property as if it were his own. He will fix my car correctly, not because I ask, but because it is his passion.
When you chase God’s plan for your life, people will gravitate to you because of your passion. That is not to say you will achieve success as the world defines success, but that you will have an impact that dwarfs worldly success.
Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
God does not send you down a path unprepared. He wants you to succeed, and He would not have given you purpose if that purpose was to fail.
Trials
John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Even as Christ was part of the triune God and understood His mission, he still found it challenging. Christ was part of the Godhead that knew at creation that His sacrifice was required to save man, yet He prayed that it would pass from Him; Christ was part man.
Mark 14:36, “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Do not think that chasing God’s passion for your life will be painless; it will not. There will be times of doubt, anxiety, and depression. We live in a fallen world. The last thing Satan wants is for you to be part of God’s pleasure.
1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
The only reassurance I can give you from a worldly perspective is my own experience. During my worldly success, I never felt I was making a difference in my life, my family’s, or the world. I was not living; I was existing. I was treading water, waiting for the end. Now, I have meaning and purpose. I do not worry about my success; I worry about obedience. I am not transformed out of this world; I must still deal with worldly issues. But I am secure in that I have a legacy, yet unseen by me, but still existing through eternity.
Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”