Like many of you, most of my days are filled to the brim. The busyness can sometimes feel mundane and meaningless. I’ve been married for 22 years. I have four teenagers, a dog, and a full-time teaching job. I have a family to take care of, friends to love on, a house to clean, and groceries to buy. Often, I feel discouraged and I forget the point of why I’m doing what I’m doing. I forget my overall purpose. In these moments I have to step back, sit down, pick up my Bible, and talk to God. During this time in his Word, he faithfully and gently reminds me of my purpose in him. Through the lens of Scripture, I have learned the practice of renewing, remembering, and restating who God has called me to be and what he has for me on this side of heaven.
RENEW our minds by considering who God is and his promises.
Before anything, we must renew our minds with Scripture. We do this by reading God’s Word and remembering who he is, and what his promises are. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (NKJV). I know that I am so easily influenced by the world’s expectations of me, and I fall into worldly patterns without even realizing it. When I read the Bible, my eyes are opened to these patterns, and I can try to turn away from them.
Renewing our minds happens by remembering who God is and what his promises are. I find such comfort in the certainty that God’s character never changes. No matter my current circumstance, he is the same. This world constantly shifts, but he doesn’t. His unchanging, never-failing character provides a framework for the way we define our purpose.
So, who is he?
He is Lord of all things in the past, present, and future.
“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
Revelation 1:8 NKJV
He holds my past, present, and future in his hands.
He is everlasting.
“The LORD is the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall fall exhausted;, but they who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31
He is Jesus, the Son of God.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, and in all things, He may have the preeminence.”
Colossians 1:15-18 NKJV
He is our Father.
“For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Romans 8:14-17 NKJV
What are his promises?
He already prepared work for us to do.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV
He wants us to be faithful in the small and big moments of our day and he will do the rest. We can rest in this truth. We weren’t made to see the future, but we can trust that he does. All we need to focus on is today.
He takes responsibility for our growth and sanctification.
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
Over time, joys, and hardships, he promises to conform us to the image of Christ. When we walk in a relationship with Jesus, we will start to look and live like him. Our purpose will become clearer because it won’t be about us, it will be about him.
REMEMBER what God has done and who we are created to be.
It’s important to make time to look in the rear-view mirror of our lives and remember the ways God has worked. After parting the Red Sea and freeing the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians, they forgot how God had rescued them. Forgetting led to complaining, grumbling, and repeatedly turning to idolatry. We must remember what God has done so that when life is hard, we can remind ourselves that he is actively working, whether we see it or not.
Take time to recount his faithfulness in your life. Remember and write down the places where you see his blessings. Because of Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts, I began the journey of counting 1,000 gifts in my life. Each day, I aimed to write five ways that I saw God’s blessing in my life in a journal. It really opened my eyes to notice what was happening around me. I began to see the way the sun’s rays dappled through my potted plants in the morning and how the steam rose off a hot cup of coffee. Sometimes it was a sweet moment between my children, a gentle smile from a student, or a kind word from a friend. If I hadn’t intentionally looked, I wouldn’t have noticed. So even after reaching my goal of 1,000 gifts, I continued this routine because it helped me to see God’s faithfulness in my life. Today, flipping back through that journal is a beautiful reminder of all the good that God is orchestrating in my life. It has flipped my perspective and opened my eyes to see the things I didn’t notice before.
Purpose also comes when we remember who we are created to be. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded by media and messages of who or what we should be. Because of this, we need to consistently reflect on our identity in Jesus. John 3:30 says, “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” This idea is completely opposite of what the world says. So when I forget why I do what I do, I meditate on this verse. Then, I write down a list of specific ways that I can put myself last and serve others first, because that’s what Jesus did. I sift through my work life and personal life looking for places to serve others. Maybe it’s being intentional in a certain relationship by asking questions, and being a good listener, giving my time away to others, or running an errand for a friend. This is when my identity looks most like Jesus.
RESTATE your purpose by writing it out.
After remembering what God has done in the past, I reflect on what he is doing now. I identify all the places where he has placed me. I start small and work outward. My family, neighborhood, school, church, community. I like to zoom in on each sphere he has placed me in and think about what my purpose is in each of those places.
- People. Who has he placed in your life? In your home, at your workplace, in your neighborhood? Where have you seen him work in their lives, and how are you a part of that? What is your responsibility to them? Do you need them, or do they need you?
- What are the roles he’s given you to play? Are you a wife, mother, daughter, friend, teacher, mentor, neighbor?
- Think small. The little responsibilities. The places that nobody sees. The moments of discipline, stewardship, and commitment. Listening to and supporting your husband, being present with your kids, making dinner, calling your mom, being available for your friends when they need you, praying for those you love, listening instead of talking, chatting in the driveway with a neighbor, or sharing a cup of flour. Purpose is found in the small things.
After considering these things, write a mission statement for yourself. Different seasons may bring different mission statements. For me, taking some time to write out what God has for me makes it more real. When I’ve had a hard day or just need a reminder of what I’m living for, I can read my mission statement and remember.
I wrote the following mission statement recently. Then, I had a couple of rough weeks and I couldn’t remember my “why.” I had forgotten my purpose. So, I asked my daughter to read it aloud to me. As she read, my tears came, and the blurriness became clear and I remembered. While the day-to-day routines of my purpose may change with each season of life, the core of who I am and what my purpose is does not waiver. I just needed to be reminded.
I’m a Jesus follower. He introduced himself to me at a young age and has graciously kept me close throughout my life. I’ve wandered and he’s gathered me back. Over and over, he has reaffirmed his love to me and for me. I am his daughter, and he delights in me. He has given me a story that weaves its way into and around the stories before me and the ones coming next. He has given me a man who loves me well and sees me. He has given us a mission to love those he puts in front of us and to lean into his strength when we are weak. For as long as I can remember he has given me a passion to write my thoughts and prayers down and recite his faithfulness. Through words he has always made things clear. He brings understanding and gently reminds me of his constancy. He has given me four very unique children to raise up, ambassador, wrangle, and love. It’s a road that is fulfilling and beautiful and frustrating and messy. He’s called me to share my love for writing with students and help give them a voice and confidence to share who they are on paper. He wants me to love well. To be a daughter, and a friend. To be faithful and present. Much seems to get in the way and make what is beautiful seem difficult. So, I cling to sanctification, hoping and knowing that from now until we are with him, he promises to make us holy like him. It is hard and it is messy, but it’s his promise, and he doesn’t break his promises. He is my constant. My purpose is to share with you my thoughts and prayers and stories so that you see that in yours—you are not alone. We are all on this path together.
You, my friend, have a specific purpose. You were created to live in relationship with your heavenly Father and to show his love to others. Find comfort in this truth. You are his, and he is God, and he is good.
Photo credit: Michael Marcagi
Amy is a Cincinnati native. She met her husband in high school, and married young. They have four kids: one in college and three teenagers busy at home. Teaching has always been one of her passions, so she spends her days with 4th graders teaching them to find their voice through writing. She loves Jesus with all of her heart and knows that her calling in life is love God and love others well. Amy loves colorful food, coffee with friends, being in nature, and playing music with family.
