What is your purpose in God’s Kingdom?
Isn’t that a question we’ve all asked ourselves?
There was a time in my life when I didn’t know I had a purpose. In my late teens and early twenties, I struggled with major depression because, in one instant, I believed all of my dreams and aspirations had been destroyed.
Did you catch that? My goals and my dreams. Those were what I thought were my purpose in life—not God’s. Little did I know that what happened would change the trajectory of my life, not for the worse, but for the goodness and glory of God.
During that season, I admit I turned away from God. Why? Because I wasn’t rooted in His Word. I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus—I had religion, and honestly, very little of that.
Being plugged in and rooted in God’s Word reminds us that our lives have meaning and that we each have a purpose, regardless of our circumstances. God has a specific plan for every one of us, and in His perfect timing, He will reveal the good works He has prepared for us.
You may be asking yourself, How do I know I truly have a purpose?
One Scripture immediately comes to mind:
Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”
Now, look back on your life (and go ahead and hum the C+C Music Factory song Things That Make You Go Hmmm…) and think about those moments that didn’t turn out the way you expected.
But do you know what?
We need to stop and remember who God is.
He is our Father.
He is our ever-present help in times of trouble.
He is our unchanging, almighty, all-powerful God who is never surprised by what is happening now or by anything that has happened in our past.
He is the Alpha and the Omega.
He is the Beginning and the End.
In times of uncertainty and unrest, it is important to remember that this world is not our home. We are simply passing through. Because of that, the world cannot be our source of hope.
Our hope must be rooted in God’s Word.
As time went on, I came out of my depression and found healing by forgiving what had happened. Eventually, I discovered purpose in my career. Yet, I still sensed something was missing. I knew God had another purpose for my life.
Of course, it isn’t easy to trust God in the middle of our trials. Our flesh and our emotions often take over, causing us to look for worldly solutions.
It wasn’t until I truly began leaning into Jesus and building the relationship He desired with me that I started discovering my true purpose in His Kingdom.
Every day is another step forward for all of us.
We must choose not to focus on our trials but instead fix our eyes on Jesus. As we remain rooted in His Word, He faithfully reveals our purpose in His Kingdom, one step at a time.
