I spent so many years searching for purpose. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. But, what I admired about my husband is that he always knew exactly what he wanted to do. He knew exactly who he wanted to be.
From a very young age, he realized his love for music. And early in our relationship, it was very apparent to me. I knew that this was a gift that God had given him. I knew that this was his purpose. But, what I didn’t realize, and what he didn’t realize, is that God had a much greater plan for his life.
In the last couple of years, God has given us both a vision that spans far beyond what we could imagine for ourselves. He has enabled me to do things that I never thought possible. He has given me the ability to write about my wins and losses in a way that touches others…and this is just the beginning of what He has shown me. And the same is true for my husband. I have witnessed my husband do things that I didn’t even know he was capable of…things that are nowhere near what we thought God would call him to do.
This process of discovering purpose has shown me that God has an ever-evolving plan for our lives. We can never figure Him out. There is always more to discover about Him. There is always more that we can discover about who He has created us to be.
Our purpose evolves as we walk with God.
It doesn’t matter where we are in life. It doesn’t matter if we are young or old; whether we are retired or just getting started in life. Our purpose is still evolving. God still has a plan for us to do more.
I have to emphasize this because many of us think that we find our purpose when we are young and carry it out until retirement. But, where is that model in the word of God? Moses was 80 years old when He was called to rescue the children of Israel. Just imagine that. Imagine living your entire life thinking you are one person, and then being called to do something historic at the age of 80.
Even if we are content in life. Even if we love our careers and are thriving in purpose, there is still more to discover.
Take a moment and think about where you are in life. Are you in a place where you’re open to discovering purpose? Are you willing to allow God to do more through you? If you answered no to either of those questions, consider praying Philippians 2:13.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13 NLT)
Ask God to give you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. This has been my prayer for some time now. Not necessarily because I’m not open to discovering new purpose. I pray this prayer primarily because It’s hard to walk in new purpose.
I have found that the call of God is much heavier than the purpose that we would choose for ourselves. This blog…me writing to you…is honestly hard. It’s a burden that I can not carry on my own. I’m not qualified or skilled enough. It’s crazy because I’ve been doing this for two and a half years now. You’d think I’d have this down. You’d think I’d be a master by now…but I’m not. Every week I have to be dependent on God, because I can’t do this on my own.
Purpose requires depending on God.
I honestly think that this is an indication of whether or not we are walking in the purpose that God has for us. If we don’t have to depend on God…if what we are doing is easy…we may not be walking in our purpose.
Maybe you’re reading this and it sounds outlandish. Maybe you feel it is a little harsh. If so, I want you to consider the numerous stories found in the word of God. If we look at Moses and the burning bush, we see that he felt incapable and unqualified to answer the call of God. If we look at David, we see that he depended completely on God to defeat Goliath. If we look at Paul, we see that his weakness led him to be strong in the Lord. If we look at Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, we see that even He was weary. Even He was weak. He needed encouragement. He needed to be carried…to be strengthened for his assignment by His Father in heaven.
If Jesus needed to depend on God, what makes us think that we can walk in purpose without doing so.
There comes a time when we realize that we want more out of life. We don’t just want to live well, we want to be fulfilled. We want to live knowing that we are making a difference…being who God created us to be. If you are ready for that journey, I encourage you to go deeper with God. Remove the limits. Remove the boundaries that you have set up for your life. Let go of your plans, so that you can get a vision of His. If you ask for His will to be done in your life, He will begin to reveal himself and his plans to you.
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42 NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:11, 13 NLT)
There’s nothing more fulfilling than walking in the purpose that God has for you, but I have to be honest…the journey to getting there isn’t easy.
This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. (Isaiah 45:2-3 NLT)
God says that He will give us treasures hidden in darkness. And I have found that the treasure of knowing our purpose is often hidden in the darkest seasons of our lives.
God began giving me vision when I was going through the darkest season of my life. I’ve talked about my journey of seeking healing for my marriage many times, but I want to reiterate the treasure that I found in that dark season. Because although I thought I would never make it, I came out with a purpose that I could have never dreamed of. I never thought I would be declaring the truth of God in this way. I never thought I could have a testimony that inspired others to believe God for the impossible.
But that’s not all. God revealed treasures in the midst of my husband’s darkness as well. In a season where he was frustrated in purpose, when he thought God had forsaken him, he was given a new vision for purpose. God showed him that he is much more than he thought he was. God showed him that He is not done yet.
God is not done with you yet.
Maybe you are in the darkest season of your life. Maybe you are in a place where it feels like God has forsaken you. If so, I want you to know that He has not. His word says that He will never leave you nor forsake you. That means that even when it feels dark, He’s right there beside you. He’s strengthening you. He’s encouraging you. He’s showing you what you’re made of, so that you can become who He called you to be. He’s not done with you yet. He’s positioning you to discover purpose. So lean into Him in this season. Allow Him to work in you so that He can work through you. And put your trust in Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for creating me and thank you for giving me purpose. Today, I have been reminded that you are not done with me yet. I have been reminded that you always have a new purpose in store for me. So today, I ask that you give me the desire and the ability to do what pleases you. I don’t want my will to be done. I want only your will to be done in my life. I ask that you lead me through this season. Work in my heart and through my life. I trust you, and I can’t wait to discover the treasures that you have hidden for me. I love you, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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