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Have you ever wondered who you are and why you are on the earth? We all have at some point. The good news is there is a reason you were born! You are not here by accident. You have purpose that goes far beyond what you may think.
The Bible teaches that every person was created on purpose for a purpose. God has a reason and purpose for everything he does and creates. He does not make mistakes! We are created by Him and for Him; therefore: you were given your gifts, talents, interests, abilities, and life experiences by God for a reason.
The longing of every heart is to know “why we are here.” If you know your purpose for existence, then life has reason and direction. Here are some practical steps to help you find your purpose, to know how to best use the gifts, talents, interests, and abilities God has given you.
Here’s FOUR steps to help you discover your purpose.
- Take a personality profile survey. God wires each of us with a unique personality for a reason. Some of us are “up” people – we are smiling, happy, and content most of the time. We enjoy life and being with people. Relationships are what we are all about.
Others of us are not so outgoing. These folks are somewhat reserved and more contemplative. Still, others enjoy being outdoors, communing with nature. Some, on the other hand, are detailed and list oriented. None of these are bad because God has given each of us different personalities – for a reason – to bring Him glory in our own unique way.
We glorify him when we use how we are wired (our personalities) to relate to others. Personality profile surveys help us zero in on how we and others are wired so we can understand why we and others act the way we do in life situations.
- Take a spiritual gifts survey.When we become believers in Christ, God bestows one or more spiritual gifts on us. These gifts complement our personalities and are used to encourage and minister to others.
Once you find out what gifts you have been given, you can begin to exercise those gifts in conjunction with your talents, interests, and abilities. You are a whole person who can have an enormous impact.
A spiritual gifts survey will help crystallize in your heart what you may have known for a long time – that the reason you get so much joy and inner satisfaction participating in certain things is because God has gifted in that area.
- Go back to school, or explore innovative ideas. Many think to themselves, “God can’t use me. I don’t have anything to offer him.” NOT TRUE!! Remember, we are here on purpose for a purpose.
To find that purpose, you may need to broaden your horizons with education or new experiences. You can go to school/take classes to learn a skill to enhance an interest or ability. You can read new material to broaden your interests. You can take lessons to hone a talent.
Many community and Christian colleges offer classes to help you brush up or get a degree. In Tennessee you can audit state sponsored college/university level classes for free. There is no reason to put off further education or seeking new experiences and see what doors God opens.
- Use them or lose them. Gifts, talents, interests, and abilities increase or decrease by use, disuse, or non-use. You hold the key. If you discover an area that you derive joy from when you exercise that gift or ability, and you use it often (say teaching), you will get better at it and thus enjoy it more.
However, the flip side is also true. If you decline to use that gift or be involved in that interest, it can become rusty and you may my become disinterested and indifferent to something that once brought joy and fulfillment.
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God has given you what you need to find purpose, joy, and fulfillment in life. Recognize them, grow them, mature in them making your gifts, talents, interest, and abilities an integral part of living intentionally.
Find Your Purpose at ClearView in Franklin, TN
At ClearView, we use an assessment tool called PLACE. This tool helps you find your purpose in life by taking an in-depth look at how God has created us, gifted us, what environment we function best in and how our life experiences have influenced us. To learn more about PLACE, click here.
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About the Author: John Garner is the Connections Pastor of ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, TN.
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