Faith: Discover your purpose, let it guide you and forge ahead. That’s what God wants
“There comes a special moment in everyone’s life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission — a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment, he finds greatness. It is his finest hour.”
— Winston Churchill
A story is told of a man who went to preach in a foreign country. He informed the natives that his mission was to preach Christ and not to address myriad drought-related challenges affecting them. Because of the emphasis he placed on the words, “Preach Christ,” the natives started calling him PC. While he talked a lot about his PC mission, he had no results to show for his efforts.
One day, the community gathered to discuss how they would share resources to survive a famine. As the meeting was going on, a small aircraft approached the group and circled overhead in search of a spot to land. The people could see two letters, PC, written on one side of the aircraft. The missionary seized the moment. He told them that the aircraft was affirming what he had been telling them. When the plane landed, however, they learned that PC stood for “Plant Corn.”
Oftentimes, there is a difference between what we do and what our purpose is in this world. When you discover your purpose, it drives you, even in those moments of self-doubt. You surrender to it the way you surrender to a mighty power. You press forward, whether others are with you or not. Lack of resources is not an issue. You see possibilities where others see obstacles.
Living your life with a purpose starts with the realization that God did not bring you to this world to do nothing. You are here to accomplish something. While your purpose may not lead to the discovery of a breakthrough strategy for eliminating diseases, poverty or illiteracy, what you do still plays a role in making life better for people.
People we consider purpose-driven were never in it for personal gains. Think of Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, among others. Others-centered purpose is what moves masses to act. You may not live among the poor or be jailed for your cause. Yet your efforts to accomplish your mission are of no less significance.
To accomplish your purpose, you must overcome both minor and major obstacles. Sometimes you stare at those obstacles and you feel empty and powerless. Then you wonder whether you really know what you are doing. Yet, inside you there is a fire about your vision that can’t be quenched by negative feelings, discouragement or temporary lack of progress. That little fire compels you to get up and keep moving.
There is never a worthwhile cause without believers, followers and supporters. The greatest challenge to accomplishing your purpose might be your ability to understand it and communicate it to others in ways that they become believers. Once convinced, they know and feel that accomplishing the purpose is their personal mission as well, and they will carry it on with or without you.
Know your purpose and do everything possible to make it drive everything you do.