Discovering Your Purpose: Understanding God’s Plan for Your Life

Have you ever found yourself asking the question, “Who am I?” or “What’s my purpose on earth?” It’s a question that millions of people like you around the world are asking today. In fact, according to research, it is one of the most widely searched topics on the internet. One of the most popular and best-selling books of all time is “The Purpose Driven Life” written by Rick Warren. As of 2020, the book has sold over 50 million copies.

I once watched a movie titled ‘Who Am I’, the story of a Hong Kong Secret Agent who went on a mission but had a fatal helicopter crash. He happened to be the only survivor but lost his memory and found himself among some villagers in a faraway South Africa. Because he couldn’t remember any incident, he kept asking and talking to himself ‘Who am I?’ to the extent that the villagers thought that was his name.

The world is in chaos, full of uncertainties, and many questions to ask. You might look at some great figures like Billy Graham; the great Evangelist, Thomas Edison; the great Inventor, Abraham Lincoln, the great American President, or Leonardo Da Vinci, the multi-talented artist who painted the Monalisa portrait worth about a billion dollars, and wonder why you are not also created to be great like these men and have your name captured in history. You feel that only when you achieve or do some “big stuff” can you regard yourself as fulfilling your purpose or living life to the fullest. You can ask these questions in different ways, but one thing you should know is that God, your creator, is a God of purpose. He does things on purpose, including all His creations. Just look around you, the water, the air, the land, the plantations, the sun, the moon, etc. and you will discover that all serve their purpose. How much more are we, humans, created in His image and likeness?

“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good”* (Genesis 1:31).

Your existence on earth is not by mistake. God has ordained what would become of you even before He formed you in your mother’s womb. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

We often tend to associate success with significance, but that is not always the case. Our purpose is to glorify God in everything that we do and to make His name known to the world. This is the true measure of success, and it is something that every human being can achieve, no matter who we are or what we do. Moses’ parents, for example, were listed as heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:23. They were recognized for living a purpose-driven life, even though only a little was spoken about them. They had faith in their maker, and at a critical stage of their lives, they had to make a tough decision to hide baby Moses at a river bank. This singular act gave them a place in God’s kingdom.

There are several people like Moses’ parents who did something seemingly insignificant but huge in God’s sight. Phinehas, one of the grandsons of Aaron, was mentioned in Numbers 25:7 & 11, where he turned back God’s wrath against the Israelites when they began indulging in sexual immorality and idol worshipping with other nations. His one-time action made his generation enjoy the covenant of peace and everlasting priesthood. Joseph of Arimathea decided on a singular act of burying Jesus’s body in his cave, and that was his contribution. During the days of the Apostles, there were 7 deacons appointed to cater to the needs of the people, but only 2, Stephen and Philip’s actions, were mentioned. The remaining 5, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, had nothing significant told about them, but they also fulfilled God’s plan and made it.

Our place in God’s kingdom is so precious to Him than we can ever imagine. All He requires of us is our heart towards Him. He’s the creator and the moulder of our destiny. “In Him was life, and that life is the light of men” (John 1:4). That’s why He demands our friendship, so He can reveal more of Himself to us. The more of His light in you, the more He reveals His purpose and also guides you to fulfilling it. It doesn’t matter whether it looks big or not. What will give you a place in God’s kingdom might not be pronounced here on earth, but it has greater significance in God’s eyes. How you use it will determine how big it will be with God.

Remember the story of the three servants who were given different talents according to their abilities in Matthew 25:14–30. That’s how God distributes abilities to all men based on our capacities. You can decide to use yours and become better to have access to more, or you can decide to hide it and lose even the one you have. You are who you allow God to make you be.

Shalom!