I quit high school in the middle of my senior year. I didn’t quit because I thought life has no purpose. Quite the opposite. My heart told me by instinct that I was made for more—that I was created for a purpose.

What led me to drop out was that I had no language to describe what I was feeling, and no mentor to coach me through it. I’ve learned a lot since then—and I’m thrilled to share with you what turned my life around.

Purpose Is Primal

We were created by God with an intrinsic desire for our lives to count, to make a difference, to find meaning and purpose.

Nothing is more important for a man than to have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. A why, a mission, a calling, a vision. What the Bible calls purpose.

Sometimes purpose becomes survival. We all have seasons when life shrinks down to the next 24 hours—putting food on the table and a roof over your family’s head.  This article is more about the next 24 months and 24 years.

What Season of Life Are You In?

Are you a young man trying to figure out what your life is all about? Are you reassessing because you’re wondering if your purpose was too small, aimed in the wrong direction—or just plain too selfish?

Or maybe you’re older and need a new purpose? A new reason to get out of bed. Maybe you’re alone now. Maybe you don’t have as many relationships as you once had. Without people and responsibilities to take care of, you feel like you’re lost your way.

No matter what situation you’re in—whether just getting started, need a tuneup, or starting over—this article can help you find God’s personal purpose for why you exist and what you’re about.

Here’s the Big Picture

God has an eternal and earthly purpose for your life. There are four universal earthly purposes God has for all men, and a specific personal earthly purpose just for you.

Your personal purpose is the unique way in which God blends the four universals together in time, place, relationships, work, and so forth. It looks like this:

I. Eternal Purpose

God’s eternal purpose for us is eternal life

II. Earthly Purpose

A.       Universal Earthly Purposes

There is a sense in which all men are alike, and God gives all men the same universal purposes. The Bible reveals four universal purposes (or, if you prefer, one purpose with four parts)—two that relate to relationships and two that relate to tasks:

1. The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37): To love God

2. The Royal Commandment (John 13:3–35): To love one another

3. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20): To build the kingdom

4. The Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:28): To tend the culture

B.       Personal Life Purpose

Each man is unique, and God gives each of us a different personal life purpose (Philippians 2:13; Acts 17:26; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 4:10–11). Like a fingerprint, your life purpose is a one-of-a-kind set of marching orders that combines the four universal purposes to which God calls all men. That unique combination draws from your spiritual gifts, natural abilities, acquired competencies, assigned times and places, roles, deeds, service, love, and the Spirit—all of which issue from Jesus Christ.

Within these four purposes, every man can find meaning and purpose in the way God intends. To that end, here is a worksheet to help you develop a Written Life Purpose Statement. You will feel most useful, most significant, and most happy when you are doing what you were created to do.

Written Life Purpose Statement Worksheet

Use the following prompts as a guide to help you discover God’s personal purpose for your life. Your reward will be a sense of destiny about your life. Follow these practical steps:

PRAY: Ask God, in prayer, to reveal your personal earthly purpose to you. Read Psalm 32:8 and 37:4; and claim them by faith as promises that He will answer.

SCRIPTURE: Search the Scriptures for verses that capture your sense of God’s purpose for your earthly life; record verses that give a special sense of meaning and purpose, picking out verses that are big enough to last a lifetime. Here are some you can begin to explore: Joshua 24:15; Proverbs 3:5–6; 30:7–9; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Micah 6:8; Matthew 6:33; 22:37–40; 28:19–20; John 4:34; 15:1–9, 15; 17:4; Acts 1:8; 20:24; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Corinthians 16:3, 1 Corinthians 16:4, Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 4:1-2:                         ______________________________________________________________

PATIENCE: Go slow and wait for God to reveal Himself. Be patient; it may take some time. If you still find yourself unsure, use these practical steps: First, reach out to your close circle to see if they can share insights on what you are good at or show a particular interest in. Your tribe knows you best and they might be able to see and point out things in you that you don’t see in yourself.

Second, reflect on your track record. Think about your past experiences. Can you recall projects or tasks where you were successful? Your past successes might prove the areas you are passionate about and naturally gifted. Are you already doing in part what you want to do full time? You might be fulfilling your calling in a role outside your career which is important to note as well.

Third, identify your desires. Do you have a burning desire for a specific ministry, organization, task, or group? What breaks your heart? What makes you excited? Realizing what you have a natural passion for is a big indicator of what you are designed to do. But not all desires lead to a calling. Has your longing led to action or have you just been talking about it?

Fourth, consider taking assessments that can help you learn more about yourself like a spiritual gift assessment or strength finding tool. See if your natural abilities, interests, passions, and skills match with what you want to do.

Fifth, keep a journal. Documenting your thoughts, prayers, and experiences can provide clarity over time. There are different seasons in life and you may not always feel like you are living out your calling. But remember, your role doesn’t define your influence or the fulfillment of your purpose. In every season and in any role, you can still make a difference.

DRAFT: Once you find a verse you believe expresses God’s earthly purpose for you, rephrase it in your own words.

Write a draft of your personal Written Life Purpose Statement here:                        ______________________________________________________________

WRITE: Once you are satisfied with it, note it in the front of your paper or digital Bible if you have one, or in a journal and date it.

BE COURAGEOUS: Do all of the above asking God to give you a passion for your life so you will not be numbered among those timid souls who never know what it is like to taste the full measure of God. Decide to buy something great with the rest of the days you have to spend! Well done! You now have a Life Purpose Statement that will act as your north star and a gyroscope that will bring you back on course–no matter how far the vicissitudes of life knock you off track.

Always on your side,

Pat