stop searching for purpose
embrace your placement
*this post is all about how to discover your purpose.
we tend to over-complicate things. from choosing what to wear, to deciding where to live, we spend countless hours mulling over decisions. but the quintessential question remains: what is our purpose here on earth? i have found myself in a season of searching, where i am left with more questions than answers. but is it as complicated as we make it out to be? as a person of faith, God’s call on my life is to reside in his presence, becoming more like Christ—ever-changing and ever-growing as i continue to walk in his Spirit.
that is and should always be my primary mission. it is the focal point of my existence revealed to me through the Word. yet we each were created on purpose, for a distinct purpose that arises from that central call. our collective pursuit unites us, and our individual calling sets us apart, allowing for our lives to benefit others. still, we often feel unfulfilled and unsatisfied, bound by uncertainty. but what if we stopped searching for purpose and started embracing our placement?
seek
the Creator of all things has given us a beautiful invitation that, if accepted, will draw us into a deeper relationship with him. but as we journey through life, we lose sight of our God-given mission. the tensions of life begin to define our purpose, creating narratives that were never intended to be ours. society talks a lot about becoming, but we neglect the process of unbecoming—the beauty of unlearning. we have to deconstruct those false narratives and flawed ideologies before we can fully come into our most authentic selves and walk in our designed purpose. this takes seeking and submitting, and it requires redefining how we view ourselves and God. we were created by him, for him (colossians 1:16).
however, we serve a God of mystery. he is consistent in nature but unpredictable in his ways. instead of resting in his sovereignty, we take hold of practices created by the world and expect results from the spiritual realm. part of unbecoming is learning how to differentiate truth from false truths, being able to run from delusions that appease, to realities that genuinely satisfy. yet, this is not an effortless task because the fruit of this world is enticing and appears to be real. we must die to ourselves and our agendas and remember God’s faithfulness (psalm 78:11-14). we must have the audacity to trust his plan and relentlessly seek Him, even if our reality fails to match our expectations.
he was, is, and will always be a Way Maker. his provision is constant. it just may look and feel different from what we expect. instead of searching for purpose, we should pursue him. and when we can’t see his hand, we should trust his heart (jeremiah 29:11). our circumstances can’t stop us from acknowledging and seeking the Blesser, otherwise, nothing will ever be enough. we have to surrender our lives to the One who is enough when we are not. we have to serve his kingdom purposes and not our own. we can rest in his sovereignty and trust that what is unseen is more significant than what is seen. but everything worth experiencing requires more intentionality and pursuit than we expected. it takes persistence, careful listening, and humility. but if we let go of the old and lean into the new, we’ll discover far more about our Creator and experience new intimacy levels with him. we are encouraged to come as we are, but we cannot remain as we were (romans 12:1–2).
cultivate
“kill your darlings. don’t be married to one iteration of an idea that you leave no room for evolution, for expansion. interrogate what you love about it. let it be shaped, molded, and sometimes thrown away for something better. bed the ego.” ashley hobbs
coming to the end of ourselves can be a terrifying thing. aborting a pursuit seems like an end, but it can be the beginning of something incredible. paul reminds us that when we die to ourselves, we gain newness of life, one lived through faith in Christ (galatians 2:20). God’s Spirit lives within us. therefore, he gives us restored direction and placement. but as always, we have a choice. we can hold on to the old or lean into the new. when we surrender everything, we become empowered. and in the moments where fear takes hold of us, we have to affirm our trust in him because faith purifies the heart.
but without patience and perseverance, our faith cannot be perfected. God needs to develop us, and this reminds me of moses. he spent 40 years in the desert, 40 years not walking in his purpose, from a human standpoint (exodus 2). while it appeared his life was going nowhere, God was actively at work—inwardly and outwardly. it was a season of pruning and one of preparation.
we often overestimate the importance of results and minimize the importance of cultivating character. the strength and tenacity gained during our desert moments prepare us to handle our mountaintop moments’ responsibilities. during this long season of “low position,” God was preparing him for the next 40 years of his life. although we might feel ready for advancement, we may not be qualified for everything that comes with it. i once heard someone say, “God won’t take you to a place where your character can’t sustain you.” truth. instead of trying to leave the spaces God is bringing us into, we should to learn how to be uprooted and replanted so we can bloom how he intended.
each season of life teaches us and changes us, enabling us to see unique aspects of ourselves and God. and we can be confident that he will repurpose everything if we invite him in and allow him to (romans 8:28). yet, there will be moments where we question why a loving God would bring us to uncomfortable places that surface deep-rooted pain. remember, he is with us in those places, comforting, healing, and guiding. but every loss we experience deserves to be honored by grief. when mary and martha were mourning the death of their brother lazarus, Jesus didn’t belittle their natural human emotions because he knew it was leading to something so much more significant. he mourned the loss with them (john 11).
he may not change our circumstances, be he will give us the grace to remain. he will stay with us and allow things to happen to help refocus us and bring us into new spiritual depths. we have to be faithful with the little things, even when we cannot see what he is doing in our hearts and circumstances. i wonder what would have happened if moses aborted the process and went back to egypt prematurely to pursue a “more significant purpose.” if he hadn’t embraced his placement shepherding sheep, he wouldn’t have been able to lead an exodus and shepherd the israelites in the desert for 40 years. during that time of uncertainty, when nothing made sense, he was learning invaluable lessons. he was in a state of unbecoming.
instead of continually searching for purpose, we should to learn how to embrace our placement at each stage of our lives. we have to be good stewards with what the Lord has blessed us with. that is a daily decision to surrender and trust the promises of God (jeremiah 1:12). but his promises rely on the process that produces them. when we mismanage our seasons, we get stuck—perpetuating our lingering. we all can learn a thing or two from the israelites wanderings in the desert. hello, manna. when we take God out of the box we created based on experiences, these unexpected seasons will yield unexpected results. this is a beautiful invitation to step into growth and create space for a new story.
my dreams still linger in a quiet place, and i still have to fight whispered doubts. but i am learning, and i am growing. it’s a daily decision to entrust myself to his plan. it’s an opportunity for my eyes to be opened and experience what i’ve read about in Scripture. but the call on my life is clear. it’s living in his presence and becoming more like Christ, always and in all ways. his manifest presence is what i am seeking. i don’t have to prove myself because God can, and will if i let him. he will show that he is able. and in his timing, he will reveal the spaces he is calling me into. as we wait on him, we will see his goodness in the land of the living (psalm 27:13). we don’t have to find our purpose. it’s who we are because of who he is. his purposes will always remain in tack as we embrace our placement and glorify him in everything we do. and thank God for the community we have been blessed to walk alongside as we learn to walk in our purpose—confidently, entirely.
HELPFUL BOOKS
relational intelligence: the people skills you need for the life of purpose you want by dr. dharius daniels
purposeful perspectives: empowering black women towards spiritual alignment, self-mastery & joy by nichomi higgins
*this post is all about finding one’s purpose.
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