Lots of people in today’s world are confused at to what the word “purpose” means for their lives.
They’ve grown up to hear almost everyone saying that they have to find their purpose on earth and they really want to do so… their hearts are stirred to know what their God-given assignments are but they just can’t seem to hit the mark…
The ever elusive mark of “this and that is what I am meant to do on earth!”
My book “10 Steps To Walking In Purpose” deals with a whole lot of steps to take if you want to find and walk in your God-given purpose and I am not going to take us back into that realm.
Simply follow the instructions to win a free e-copy for yourself (instructions were shared on last week’s post here) or purchase the book here and here.
Today I want to speak/write on a general loophole that people trying to find their purpose create… a loophole that just might be the reason why they can’t hit the spot on what they are meant to do on earth.
Some of us at least have an inkling on what we are meant to do on earth and this post isn’t for you.
This post is for that lost soul through and through who has almost given up on hearing God speak to them about their purpose.
The simple answer to your confusion is to stay fixed in Jesus.
It seems to be an ordinary answer right?
NO.
It would surprise you as to the number of persons who get up from the bed in the morning and simply have no time for fellowship with God.
They pray while they have their bath, or pray while they are on their way to work…
Nobody tells anyone something worthy of note when the person they are talking to is perpetually busy…
You don’t tell your heavy stuff to friends who don’t have the time of the day for you.
You sit, take a cup of coffee/some snacks while you leisurely communicate your heart to a trusted friend… and it’s the same thing with God.
Too many persons are not ready to put in the time/work that it takes to getting Him to speak to us on His plans for our lives.
God may not tell you what your purpose is in Him the first day you ask Him… most times, it is as you spend time with God, just loving up on Him and praying/communicating with Him that He reveals His heart concerning you to you.
You don’t have to get anxious about finding your purpose…
I believe that maybe David thought all he was meant to do was to tend sheeps till the day Samuel arrived with an anointing oil to annoint him king over Israel.
What God saw was David’s heart for Him even while he was a shepherd and when the time came to reveal His plan to David, He opened up to him and David was well disposed to receive the word because he was in place with God – burrowing deep into God’s heart even in the bush.
Let this be said of you too.
Don’t get too anxious about finding purpose… stay where God has placed you, with you just actively pursuing after His heart… and when He speaks concerning you, you’ll be better disposed to receive His words.
Remember that you cannot find purpose outside of the creator (step one in my book) and so this aspect of coming into deeper relationship/fellowship with the one who created you with purpose is indispensable.
Stop the worries.
Get the link between the creaor of purpose and yourself right and deep and every other thing will follow.
I look forward to seeing you find and walk in your God-given purpose on earth.
Nothing else beats the joy this gives, and I pray you experience it in Jesus name, amen.
Till our next post on the Help Me To Walk In Purpose series,
Love,
Frances.
PS:
You can get my book “10 Steps To Walking In Purpose” on Konga here and on Okadabooks here.
P.P.S: Finally! My interview on radio will be up today…
Date on the flyer was shifted to today…
Tune in for my interview on www.wigradio.com and I hope that aside from you hearing my warri tongued voice, you’ll glean insights on walking in purpose, living purposeful lives as youths, how to make a difference with your NYSC year (my upcoming third book) and how to walk in your dreams without waiting for manna from heaven 🙂
Tune in at www.wigradio.com at 10:30am and inspire someone by sharing!
Thank you!
And have an ama-mazing week ahead!
9 Comments
Oyinkansola Ige
March 15, 2016 at 5:27 pmThank you so much, Frances. This is so timely for me. I am this point in my life where all I’ve been asking God is what I am here to do. I feel like I am not doing enough, and its been frustrating. It helps to know that I am not the only one who has been confused and “aimless”. Thank you, plus I look forward to meeting you. I want to write you a letter…is there any way I can get your personal email? Thank you.
Frances Okoro
March 15, 2016 at 6:51 pmHi Oyinkansola… i’m just glad that this post helped… I have sent a mail to you with my email addy…
On being “aimless”… the fact that you are awakened to the fact that you are on earth for a reason means that you are on the path of purpose already, now just take it a step further to knowing what it is, of course from God alone. set the anxiety aside, ask God in thanksgiving because you know He made you for a reason already. Keep your relationship with Him alive and be sensitive enough to listen when He speaks…He always does… #Be still.
hugs and love
mfoluwa
March 21, 2016 at 9:24 pmHi,
Permit me to say this. The only purpose we have is the purpose of the one that gave him life for us, which is Christ. Looking at his template and instruction. Our purpose is to go into the world and disciple nations. We cannot have a “purpose for my life” It is not about us but about doing HIS work. Nothing more, nothing less. I pray God gives us the wisdom to go about HIS work (discipling people) not going off on a tangent and reveal himself to us. Amen,
Frances Okoro
March 22, 2016 at 12:19 pmHi Mfoluwa…
Thank you for your words and prayers…
I’m re-reading this post and checking to see if anything connotes the fact that “purpose” can be gotten aside from God – our creator.
It’s not basically “a purpose for my life” but God’s purpose for my life… all centered to living for God in the area He wants us to live in Him…
Every one’s purpose/God-given assignment leads to God, stems from God and derives it’s source from God.. anything outside of this isn’t really “purpose” per say.
Now Christ said we should go into the world disciplining people… but we are not all to do this disciplining others through worship for example, or through politics for example…
God has made us all with an area in which we are meant to disciple others.
There is a manifestation of God through us in a given area and this is what we term “purpose” and finding it.
We are all meant to “stay in our place”.
There’s a place God has made us all with our God-given talents, gifts, etc, with which we are meant to win souls and disciple them even as we live forth our purpose in that area.
I hope this makes sense.
I really, really don’t want this to be twisted.
There’s is no purpose apart from God (it’s spread all over my book and even on this blog) and every purpose – different manifestation of our callings – but all lead to same spreading Jesus forth, winning souls for Him, raising disciples for Him, raising men and women for God…
I hope I didn’t go off in a tangent again in an attempt to make it clear…
Thanks lots for your words again.
Frances Okoro
March 22, 2016 at 5:53 pmJust came to mind as I thought about this…
1corinthians 12… the manifestations of the Spirit are given to all to profit withal…
All are not prophets, all are not teachers..
All are not meant to be king’s wives like Esther, all are not meant to be in politics like Daniel and Joseph…
Paul was called to the gentiles, Peter to the jews…
There are different workings but same Spirit work in them all to the glory of God the Father.
So yes all purpose leads to God, and all purpose ends in winning souls and discipling them for Jesus but the way that disciplining is done for each one differs from another.
There is a place God has called us unto to do His work… that place is our purpose IN HIM, where we do our good works for which we have been created for before the beginning of the world…
Just thought to make it clearer so no one confuses this…
Mfoluwa
March 23, 2016 at 3:54 amThis is going to be a long one. Lol.
I think it’s extremely important that we stay with what the Bible says. 1 Corinthians 12 is talking about the Body of Christ and how we are integrally linked under the Authority of Christ. Not our profession of where we are in our place and the last verse says something important… It talks about a greater way… fast forward chapter 13… Love! (Which is another topic entirely)
With regard to what I am trying to pass across… All purpose doesnât lead to Christ, all purpose doesn’t lead to winning souls. We shouldn’t even have a purpose… Our only purpose is Christ’s. Nothing more nothing less. What we do is at best a platform for living out the life of Christ… Gal 2:20
Consistent with Scriptures, we see one theme: Christ Read Luke 24. There is no need for anyone to start searching for any purpose, because it is not lost. The only message we have Christ. He is not the end… He is Everything. It’s not leading to winning souls… (We cant even win any soul Ephesians 2:10) Our Only purpose is Christ. Even ALL scriptures is about Him… So, how can we (Who are dead) think that we have a purpose? As long as there is a ‘My’ in the picture… It’s not really about HIM.
Paul’s letter (messages) and the life Christ lived is one theme: Christ, his birth, death, burial. Paul had a regular job he was doing but that was not his message. It was so unimportant that the job wasn’t even mentioned. Galatians. Ephesians. Philippians . Colossians. Consistent… Our message is Christ. His resurrection. Our coming to maturity. Everything Christ! You can read again with the purpose of seeing just Christ and everything else tied to him.
My dear friends, our purpose is not lost or hidden because we do not exist. If indeed we are dead to ourself and alive to Christ then we take on HIS purpose.
Frances Okoro
March 23, 2016 at 4:06 amI do not believe that there is any purpose that stands outside of Christ Mfoluwa… there is nothing I do/we as Christians should do that should be apart from Him.
But i really don’t want to go off in a roll/not say anything else because there is a lot of tendency for this to get mixed up in an attempt to make things clearer from my end…
so all I will make clear is: Nothing in this post nor anyone I have ever posted or anything I say has ever said purpose is apart from Christ.
and I will end there.
Thanks
Mfoluwa
March 23, 2016 at 3:57 amDEAD ON ARRIVAL
You know how they say we were all born sinners. Well, It’s also Biblical truth that we believe. “For in Adam we die…” 1 Cor 15:22
We were dead on arrival. There was no escaping this death. Thank God we have a hope in Christ. “….Even so, in Christ shall all be made alive” 1 cor 15:22
If I died and essentially don’t exist, How can I be saying this is “God’s purpose for my life”? How do I even have a life again? I am already dead right?
If indeed I am now living the life of Christ like I readily quote (Gal 2:20) Is the appropriate question not supposed to be “What is Jesus purpose”?
Now, let us look at the life of Christ… He spent 33 years on earth, 3 of those years he spent pouring out himself to his disciples, talking to the crowd doing miracles he saw his father do and when he was done, he said “It is finished” but Jesus came to die for our sins right? Well, no doubt about that.. But he could’ve simply done that and left right? right! But he didn’t. He discipled a few a people, died for us, resurrected and still spent 40 days teaching these disciples again.
He spoke to them in his parting words to go and do the same. Go, disciple, baptize and he gave us the only gift he promised that would’d need on this discipleship journey, The Holy Spirit. John 14:15-17, Acts 2.
Why then are we now bothering our heads? If you are still looking for your purpose, it means you still have your life! It is NOT in anyways about us (remember, we don’t exist again right?) it is about Jesus!!!
Follow HIM!
Dumebi
March 23, 2016 at 3:52 pmMfoluwa is nt wrong, bt I think it wasnt properly expressed. My question to Mfoluwa is this, do u expect everyone to become a missionary and go to the road to start preaching? If so, pls give me scriptural references. It is true that The Mandate is a primary assignment to all Christians, irrespective of your calling. But not everybody will carry out this assignment on the same platform. Example: Not everybody is called into the five-fold ministry. Soul winning can be done on different platforms…these platforms have foundations in our purpose or gifts or talents. A pastor’s method of carrying out d mandate will be different from that of a writer or musician or a doctor… Bt the goal is d same. Using ur life’s purpose to spread the gospel of Christ. I have read Frances’ book and she explained all that. Ben Carson doesnt have a church, he is a doctor bt u can be certain he is blessing people and leading them to Christ through his calling as a surgeon…maybe even more than some pastors.
So, please, the two work together. Ur purpose will make carrying out Christ’s mandate effective and worthwhile. Ur purpose is the vehicle on which the mandate will ride. Remember, Paul was a tent-maker, a ‘lawyer’ and a writer. He was able to write half of the new testament because of his skills as a writer. Nd all these things helped him to carry out the mandate. Nd that’s why it was easy for God to use Him.
Cheers.