5 Myths About Purpose

" For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10

When I wrote the e-workbook Journaling To Your Purpose it came from a place of wanting to share with others what I had learned for myself. There is a lot of mystery around the idea of purpose and the meaning of life. Along with the mystery are these myths that I think stop people from understanding and living their life's purpose. I would like to dispel a few of these myths in hopes that you will look at purpose from a new perspective, one that would allow you to not only discover yours but to also start to live in it.

As a follower of Jesus, our purpose is clear; we are to serve Him and serve others. 

How do we do this? By using our gifts and talents.

This is the answer to the purpose and meaning of life questions that so many of us struggle with.

While the answer is simple, we often make it more complicated when we allow other things to get in the way of what God has called us to do. These things include feelings of fear, insecurity, and doubt. Other blocks to purpose and meaning can be people's opinions of who we are and what we should do, circumstances that happen in our lives and the false beliefs we hold surrounding our purpose.

Here are some myths that either I have believed at some point, or things I have heard other people say about purpose. Are some of these familiar to you? Do you hold any of these beliefs? Or do you have other myths that have stopped you from doing what God has created you to do?

Myth 1: You have to find your purpose.

Truth: Your purpose is not something that has to be found, simply because it was never lost. Instead, you were born with a purpose and it is your responsibility to discover what God has already placed inside of you. Discovering purpose means going within, being silent, listening to God and paying attention to your life. It requires shutting out all the "noise" of life so you can hear what is most in your heart and soul.

Myth 2: Purpose is always connected to your employment.

Truth: For some, this is true. There are people whose purpose is a direct reflection of how they earn a living. Their positions allow them to use the talents and gifts they have been blessed with to be in service to others and to earn an income. But for other people, this is not the case. While your day job may be working in a bank, your true purpose is expressed on the weekends where you spend your time volunteering and mentoring children. Don't always think that your purpose has to be linked to your income or your employment. (A side note: no matter where you work, or how you feel about your position, boss or co-workers, you still must work with a spirit of service)

Myth 3: I don't have any gifts, talents or skills that would make a difference in anyone's life.

Truth: God has given each of us gifts and talents that help to make us who we are. Everyone has something to offer the world. The challenge becomes learning how not to compare yourself to other people or think that someone else's gift is somehow better than your gift. You are uniquely and wonderfully made and the gifts and talents that belong to you are what you are to give to the world. No one can do what God has given you to do, the way you can do it because there is no one else like you.

Myth 4: Purpose is all about making money, possessions, and fame.

Truth: Purpose is always bigger than money, fame or things. It is what you would do if you never made a penny, or if no one knew your name other than the people you are serving. If those things are your main goal, I encourage you to spend time with God to see if you are aligned with what He wants for you.

Myth 5: The ups and downs in my life have nothing to do with my purpose.

Truth: Everything in life whether good or bad happens for a reason. While we all love it when life is great, we also know those times won't always last. When the sunny days turn into gray days, we want them to be over quickly. We want the sunshine to come back and the difficult experiences of grief, pain, loss, or loneliness to go away. But in those dark times, purpose can be discovered. There are lessons in our experiences. What we learn when we emerge from the darkness, can be used to serve someone else who is also going through their own challenges. Nothing is wasted if we recognize the gifts that the messy hard parts of life are offering us and be open to receiving them.

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What are some myths about purpose that you believe or have heard before? Write down these myths and also a truth to combat the myths.

Share this post with someone you know who is trying to discover their purpose.

Love to hear from you. Send me an email with your thoughts, questions or comments.

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