Naming Your Unique PurposeSample

There you are. Sitting on your couch, drinking a hot beverage, reading on your phone. And then “BOINK!” The revelation of your purpose falls upon you. Your life is clear. You are forever changed.

I mean, it sounds cool, but it’s not the real version. It just doesn’t work that way.

There’s a common theme among many whom God calls in the Bible. It goes something like this…God says, "hey you, I’ve picked you to join me to do great things."

Then the person replies "Me? You surely don’t mean me! I am flawed and certainly cannot do what you are asking. You have the wrong person."

God replies "I know exactly who you are. I am the one who created every cell in your body to do what I designed for you, before you were even born. Do you not remember who I am? If you have a weakness, it is I that will supply all you need. That’s how we partner together, you and me. I want to do this with you. Remember who I am, trust who I have made you to be, and believe that I will be with you."

What follows next is a sort of training period. We see these characters begin to listen to what God tells them to do, as crazy as it may seem, and then do it. Then he gives them the next step. This is how they step into their purpose with God as their coach. He talks them through the things they do. They take small steps of faith, and God shows them He is there with them. They practice.

Through continued practice, their skill, confidence, and trust are strengthened. It is then that we see them tackle the big callings with God by their side.

Listen to me, you are not flawed nor ineligible, nor have you “missed the boat.” You can’t screw up enough to lose your purpose. You must ask for it, with all that you have, not for your gain but for the benefit of others–and He promises to show up! You can’t save the day on your own. You won’t be the lone hero. But you will have the wonder of a deeply meaningful shared adventure with God and with others who He has called alongside you.

We, like others in the Bible, train by practicing our purpose with God as our coach. Purpose isn’t a revelation that changes how we live our lives. Purpose is an ongoing practice.

It takes practice to listen, see, and name. It takes practice to know how to use what we discover. It takes practice to stay awake.

We listen to God. We take a small step. We learn and we experience. And over time, our steps get bigger and bigger. Our confidence in ourselves grows, and our trust in God grows because as we step out in faith, we see Him show up. And, together, we see things shift and be restored. We see joy banish the darkness.

To experience the wonder of our purpose in action, we can’t skip practice.

Now that I have practiced naming my unique purpose, how can I start practicing putting it into action and refining it?

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