Getting Started
Prepare for a life of purpose.
Perhaps before the digital age, your personal assistant was named, Webster [57]. Remember him? You were told to, “Look it up” whenever you had a question about an unfamiliar word. Now that we live in the virtual age, you can Google [58] “finding your purpose” and get a million (or fewer) pages on this very topic. What you will not find is your completed personal journey pre-scripted for you to read right now. Your journey is something that you must do. And since it is not yet complete, not even this book can tell you exactly what your purpose is without your input. This book is a resource, not a crystal ball. It is a conversation starter – to help you open a dialog between you and God for His glory and the edification of His people. When faced with a challenge, it is easy to get stuck in first gear with, “I don’t know where to begin.” Does that sound familiar? You will be glad that finding your purpose is a teachable art. Keep in mind that this is a course without borders; and, you can get all the attention you need from the Lead Instructor: The Holy Spirit [59] .
This book is designed to empower you. It will get you started and show you how to do your own research. It will not tell you what your purpose is without your own investigation. Your purpose is a unique place of existence that is a culmination of your gifts, talents, and experiences. Without any one of these elements, you could be destined for a different purpose, or the same purpose on a different level. Remember that your purpose may not be a straight line from birth. Many roads can lead to the intersection of your life and purpose. Similarly, different people can have different experiences and still come to the same place of purpose. Therefore, you should not limit your thinking by making vast comparisons of your life to the life of another person such that you diminish your own experiences or think that you cannot perform a part of your calling because you may not have the education, lineage, or other “qualification” of someone else who is called to a similar purpose as you are.
Understanding the role of your own skills and experiences in defining your purpose and elevating your effectiveness therein can help you to ask the right questions and understand your discoveries so that you may identify your own purpose by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Despite what you may have felt in the past, God wants you to find Him. He wants you know and pursue that for which He designed you uniquely in this life. He says, seek me while I may be found.
If you want to find God’s will, get ready to do some homework. Finding your purpose is possible, a noble work, and something you should seek after. That does not mean that it is always an easy task. However, it does not have to be difficult. It is easier to know your purpose than it is to walk in its fulfillment. Once you know it, it is your responsibility to live according to that higher calling [60]. If you were conducting research for a class, you would gather sources and find the most credible ones to document your findings. You would have some theory and hypothesis to test. How much more important is your own soul?
This book is designed to help you ask the right questions and do some soul searching, with you and your relationship to God as the primary focus. Remember, this book and its counterparts are personal study guides. You can find your purpose without the tools in this book. If you need help, that is what this book is for. God admonishes the learned to teach [61] in order that all may be edified and grow in the knowledge of Him.
Many of life’s complications, from time management issues to major crises are manifestations of people on auto-pilot, who have no real knowledge of what they were placed here to do, or who are not clear on how to go about walking in their purpose. They are likely to have been distracted from a God-given purpose. If you feel like an elementary student of God’s perfect and divine will, strive for a middle school education, then a high school diploma, and so on. Never stop searching God’s infinite wisdom. Always strive to be closer to Him, discovering how you can grow in His purpose for your life. It is alright to pace yourself and grow in stages. You are not required to know everything by tomorrow. You need to know yourself [62] and strive to know God [63] more intimately. And know that knowing yourself can also take time.
You might think that you know everything about yourself – after all, you’re you. However, the self is a highly complex entity. It may be that some things you claim as wholly parts of yourself are things you adopted in life because of other people’s desires and or other external influences. No matter how well you think you know yourself, do not be leery of questioning your own ways and thoughts to ensure that you are acquainted with your personal preferences, strengths and weaknesses. It is only by knowing yourself that you can utilize your innate tools for their highest and best utility. You want to make the most of your skills and abilities in fulfilling your purpose.
Most people have spent more time getting to know their spouse than they have spent getting to know themselves and their creator. Take this opportunity to cultivate your relationship with God. Do not sit and wait for a news flash. You will not likely know God’s will if you are not willing to spend any time finding out who you are in relationship to God and who God is.
Some people begin searching for God’s will for their own lives by researching the lives of others. While biographies can be informative, it is important to remember that each person is unique. You may have similar encounters as did another person, yet you will see them through your own eyes. Your experiences will be flavored by your beliefs, environments, associations, and thought processes. There may also be situations and circumstances in your life for which you will not find clear-cut patterns in the experiences of others. While biographies can be eye openers, an autobiography says something more than someone else’s opinion from the outside looking in. Your personal story is your own. No matter how many others know about your situation, you are the one with the inside track. And recording the events of your own story will be as insightful as reading about the lives of others.
Begin your journey of purpose by examining your own life and searching truths about God. Read the Bible daily [64] and develop your prayer walk [65]. Learn who you are as you ask God to show you who He is. If you are truly searching for your link to God, He has been weaving His presence into your entire life. He wants to get your attention. That is the reason you are looking for Him now.
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. II Timothy 2:15 AMP
The Word says that no person can come to God except he be beckoned by God [66]. Thus, you are reading this book because God is calling your heart to a closer relationship with Him. Maybe you have not noticed all of the ways that He has been revealing His will since day one. Start charting your experiences and connecting the dots. Then, get ready to live in the light of this revelation.
The personal journey to your God-given purpose opens a world of discovery. Each person in his or her lifetime needs to pursue their purpose. If you ask a wealthy person what thing in life has brought them the most joy, he or she will not likely say that money made him or her the happiest. A person who fulfills his or her purpose in the earth is the most fulfilled person on the earth [67].
Not every person will begin this journey at the same age or level of spiritual maturity [68]. Therefore, some will have more growing to do than others. It is important to recognize that the ways in which you grow and change to become a woman of purpose are fruits of the process and are not to be slighted in value since without taking your requisite steps toward purpose, your purpose may be thwarted. Everything you do to grow is like pruning a young tree [69]. It is written that you are a branch of the vine of Christ [70]. Casting off the things that would cause your branch to wither are necessary to keep you healthy and connected to the vine. As so, do not despise pruning for this is evidence that God both loves you and is willing to protect you for a purpose.
Since you are designed to find and fulfill your purpose, a way has been prepared. Now that you recognize that God has begun a good work in you, stay on the path to its fruition. While a cathartic moment can help, a mere statement that you have a purpose is not enough to make you fulfill it. Finding your purpose is also a matter of will. “Will you submit to God’s will?” Knowing your purpose is only as powerful as your commitment to act in terms of your purpose. If you choose to live according to your God-given purpose, that choice empowers you to do the things that you should do because when God calls you, He qualifies, justifies, and glorifies you [71]. You have everything you need to succeed in His purpose for your life. Step out on faith and possess the promise.
Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them. Deuteronomy 1:8 AMP
Footnotes
[57] Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Webster’s Dictionary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster%27s_Dictionary
[58] Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Google. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google
[59] I John 2:27; John 16:13
[60] Know the truth. Speak the truth. Do the truth. – African proverb.
[61] Galatians 6:6
[62] Know Thyself. – African Proverb
[63] John 14:4-6
[64] II Timothy 2:15
[65] Luke 18:1
[66] John 6:44
[67] John 8:32
[68] I Corinthians 13:11
[69] John 15:2
[70] John 15:5
[71] Romans 8:30
..
..
Heir Force Ministries 