[Note: I wrote this article after having several conversations with people who genuinely wanted their lives to be more meaningful, but yet weren't feeling particularly compelled to do anything about it.]
I read about a recent study at UCSD which concluded that “people don’t devote enough time to thinking seriously about how they spend their life.” As a result, the participants were sad to realize they had been wasting time when they could’ve been living differently and found “happiness.”
How much worse is it then for us believers, who KNOW that the Lord’s ways lead to JOY both in this life and for eternity, yet don’t devote time to reflecting and aligning more with His will?
As I coach women through this process, I am reminded by their stories of how this work brings freedom, joy, and peace. If we proclaim God is sovereign and we trust He created us in advance for His good works (Ephesians 2:10), then we have no reason to fear or delay pursuing His purpose for us!
You are not TOO BUSY for this. Even the busiest person I know, a new mom who is lucky to get even a moment to sleep, much less think about anything beyond the next feeding or diaper change – she (and other mothers I’ve worked with) shared that defining her purpose now as a mother is exactly what she needed. Even better, she has peace about the kind of parent God has called her uniquely to be, freed from being driven by the comparisons and societal pressures she faces from other moms.
You are not TOO LATE to figure it out. Some of us wonder if we’ve wasted too much time, but I think it’s better to not waste any more. One woman shared with me that she was not happy being “content” as she approached retirement and didn’t want to spend the rest of her years playing golf with her peers. Through our time together, she accomplished several important goals – a few which had been on hold for years. She renewed her sense of purpose for her “remaining years” while also modeling purposeful living for her children and grandchildren. What was so cool is that her husband said he was inspired to live longer because of what he has seen in her!
Praise God for the work He is doing in their lives! Also, I think about my own joy, being right in the center of God’s will and Truth for me. I call it my “sweet-spot” but it’s so much more than just sweet… while it may be trying at times, it’s always fulfilling, is deeply peaceful, frees me to serve wholeheartedly, and I’ve been told it’s contagiously life-giving.
I hope you’ll start pursuing God’s purpose for your life soon, because when we do what we were made specifically to do, we come alive and, in fact, we are much more generous and are better at serving others. If you’ve begun this journey, be sure He is guiding your next step; if it’s brand new to you, ask God to reveal to you where to begin (James 1:5). Though the path may be tough, the prize is to know Him and BE in His presence. And from that posture we can’t help but feel grateful to play a part in His work, and He is glorified when we seek after Him and then honor, embrace, and DO what He has intended us to do.
I know the Lord is faithfully at work in our lives (Philippians 1:6), and I can’t wait to see what’s to come.