Purpose. There are three main points to address. What does purpose mean? What is your purpose? Are you “walking” in your purpose? Well, friends, we will examine the purpose and hopefully break it down in a practical and applicable way.
I remembered years ago; when I was in graduate school, our church read a book called The Purpose Driven Life. In the book, Rick Warren discusses five purposes that are known as biblical truth. One of the core verses is Ephesians 2:10, which states, For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works for which God prepared us to do in advance. I clung to that verse and tried to make sure that I lived out the five purposes described in the book. I knew that my life wasn’t my own and that the Lord was calling me to do good works, but what exactly were the great things?
I think that many of us get caught up on what are the good works. As I continued to journey with Christ, I remember feeling frustrated because that elusive question continued to ring in my head. Felicia, what is your purpose? Then to complicate matters, someone asked what your passions are? I was trying to figure out how to combine my passions with my purpose and vice versa. Are they the same? If not, then how are they defined, and how do they co-exist?
Well, I remember finding the answer to both questions in a doubtful book about basketball and leadership. If you haven’t read Lead For God Sake, I challenge you to find it and read it. In the book, Todd Gongwer defines purpose as us loving God and loving people. How simple is that! My goal in life is to love the creator of my soul and then love the creation that He has made.
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39
So what does it mean to love the Lord? For me, it means to obey, submit, walk by faith and trust Him with my life. What does it mean to love your neighbor? It means that I become a servant and think of others before I think about myself.
The greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23:11
Now that purpose is defined, let’s dive into how we can apply it in our lives. Our purpose is always directly correlated to our relationship with Christ. Often we feel like we are wandering around without any direction or that we are going in circles. Instead of chasing a purpose, let’s change our focus and pursue Christ. He created us and gave us our passions, dreams, and desires. Those things are for our good and His glory!
In the lead for God’s Sake, the author says that your passion is how you demonstrate your purpose. I am passionate about helping college student-athletes thrive and grow both on and off the court in practical terms. As the Director of Operations for the women’s basketball team at Georgia State, I get to influence and impact the lives of my student-athletes every day. As a follower of Christ, I understand that my work goes beyond my daily tasks of organizing trips, ordering meals, and supervising graduate assistants. Why? Because my passion (work) is directly attached to my purpose. I believe why I am at my job for a specific reason and time. While I am here my goal is to show the love of Christ through my job performance and in my relationships with my student-athletes and colleagues. As followers of Christ, we to make disciples of men and women for Christ. As you work within your passions, you can create relationships, display excellence and again show the love of Christ. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23
Friends this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to purpose and passion. When we finally grasp the meaning that it is already defined, that will free us to create, build, and work within the desired goals. For our purpose is solidified in Christ. Let us love Him and love others! Let’s pursue our passions and allow them to fuel us to make a difference in the lives of those in our sphere of influence.
