season 2, Episode 23

How to walk in God’s purpose when you don’t know what it is

We think of purpose oftentimes as this big, vague, mysterious idea of purpose. How can I walk in God’s purpose for you when you don’t know what that is? What are his big grand plans for my life and what if I miss them. When yes, He does have plans for your life, but VERY rarely will He even give us a glimpse into what that is. More often than not, to find out how to walk in God’s purpose for our lives, God calls us to simply walk with Him. And in simply walking with Him, He will guide us to those bigger things we call our purpose or things of His purpose.

Elizabeth Elliot once said, ‘“We may rest in the promise that God is fitting together a good many more things than are any of our business. We may never see “what good it did” or howa given trouble accomplishes anything. It is peace to leave it all with Him, asking only that He do with me anything He wants, anywhere, anytime, that God may be glorified.”

Okay, but Meg, how do we walk in that purpose though? What is it? I’ll break it down into two things: practical purpose and how to find our bigger purpose.

Practical purpose – When it comes to practically being in God’s purpose for my life and the world, we are quite literally simply called to follow Him. And I know that can sound frustrating, but we are. And here’s how that affects our future:

When we’re caught between doing something and not, is one of those choices against God’s direct guidance in scripture?

When we’re given gifts and talents and blessings, do we share it, invest it and use them in community or do we hide it?

Because when we read stories like Joseph who became a very powerful ruler in Egypt, YES we absolutely see God giving him vague visions about the future, but do we see Joseph act no those visions? No. We see Joseph not have control over his being taken into slavery. We see Joseph work diligently and excel in gifts God gave him. We see Joseph OBEY God by not sleeping with Potiphar’s wife. We see Joseph USE the gifts of interpreting dreams God gave Him. We see Joseph LISTEN to God WHEN He speaks. And all through that, we see an Israelite who became a slave and get thrown into prison become a leader.

So how do I know where I’m meant to be and what I’m meant to be doing? Follow God and the things He’s put in your life – the talents, passions, practical positions, people, etc all while obeying Him.

Here’s a big sigh of relief – if you didn’t hear a direct command from God, you’re not disobeying Him.

So let’s say you want to start a business, pray about it, if you don’t hear a no, pursue it, step out in faith, continue to pray about it, be obeying God, be using what He’s given you.

How to find the bigger purpose

Believe it or not, I’m a firm believer that as you seek the Lord in your day to day He leads you to your bigger purpose. I’m also a big believer that today He still can and does give visions and direct guidance and answer prayers miraculously but for much of us and for most of our life, falling into the Lord’s plan looks like actively walking with Him in ways we already know how as we live out life.

My encouragement to you? Pursue the things you feel God has put in your heart, grow in your relationship with Him and let Him do the rest. 

XO, Meg