Fulfilling Your Purpose: How Knowing Who You Are Can Change Your World Sample

Every Christian has been called to love, serve, bless, and exercise his or her gifts. This is not news to us; believers talk a lot about calling and ministry within the church and beyond it. But how do we apply this general calling individually? How do we know where God wants us to be and what he wants us to do? Where do we fit in?

Writer and preacher Frederick Buechner addresses these questions: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” In other words, there is an intersection between your sense of purpose and the world’s places of need. Wherever that intersection is, you will find fruitfulness and satisfaction there. This calling may not always be easy, and the fruit may not always be evident—in fact, you almost certainly will face hardships and dry seasons—but you will be secure in your service. It will fit your gifts and desires.

The beauty of this balance between “your deep gladness” and “the world’s deep hunger” is that it remedies two spiritual distortions: the idea that serving God must always feel sacrificial and painful; and the idea that if you are satisfied, you are selfishly neglecting others. God’s will and yours converge to fulfill his purposes and satisfy your heart. Yes, his calling involves sacrifice, but it leads to joy, just as it did with Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). And though it is possible to spend one’s life seeking self, that does not mean all satisfaction is selfish. As so many psalms remind us, God is a fulfiller of hearts and a satisfier of desires. Where you fit in this world is the place where your heart was created to fit—in him, and for his glory. Find a need that you are delighted to fulfill, and you will discover your calling there.

Prayer: Lord, I will follow you wherever you lead. But in my service, lead me into joy. In my sacrifice, fulfill me. You have made me for a purpose; may my eyes always be open to see it. Amen.