ON PURPOSE 1

 

There are two categories of people in life - Those who LIVE and those who EXIST and the clear difference between the two is that 

Those who live: 

Cause effect and affect people's lives and society at large. 

Pursue their purpose and actualize it 

Have something to live for and something to die for 

Have a compass for their lives, they have a destination, they see an actuatable future and work hard to get there 

WHILE Those Who Exist is the direct opposite of those who live 

If a man has not found something worth dying for, such a man is not fit to live” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Life is for living and not for existence 

PURPOSE is the quality of being determined to do or achieve something, living with an assignment, living to achieve a goal, the feeling of determination to achieve things in life, having a plan, and working towards achieving such a plan 

Life has a purpose and your life has a purpose. 

For centuries, philosophers and teachers in various fields have sought and debated on "the purpose of life" but what matters most is your purpose in life. 

Every existence has timing and every life has a compass, these things have been put in place by God himself to guide everyone to their ordained destination. 

Destiny is not a desire, it is an ordination. 

The timing and plan for destiny may change but the location remains constant. 

A bus can take many routes just to get to one destination so it is with destiny.

Activity Log:  You'll need 

A quiet place 

Writing materials 

A comfortable seat 

An open heart 

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF 

• 
  Who Am I? 

• Why Am I Here on Planet Earth? 

• Why Am I Alive? 

• Why does God protect me every day and wake me up every morning? 

• Is there something unique about me? 

• Why did God create me as a human being and not as an animal or something else?

• What is my reason for living? 

• What is my purpose in life? 

While pondering on these questions listen for the voice of God in your Spirit, because he can talk to you at any time concerning this matter. 

Not everyone wants to be involved in affecting other people's life some just want to be "on their own" living what they define as a "normal life"; but honestly, there is nothing normal about life. 

You can't call a life filled with evil and darkness and challenges and uncertainties about the next hour or day normal. 

One way or another we always affect the lives of people around us whether we know about it or not.

In Isaiah 60:1-3 it says:

     Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

The entire world is covered with darkness and it's even worse in the 21st Century and it has no plans of getting any better. The truth is people who want to live "a normal life" (a life without purpose or vision) never get it, they just keep trying and trying but never get it. 

   Jesus said in John 10:10

 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. - I have come that you may have 

There is no life outside Jesus; this is what makes the difference between those living in the abundant life he created and those living life their own way. 

DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE 

Finding purpose in life is one of those things that most people want.  

As nice as it sounds, it can seem challenging to attain. 

If you haven't spent a lot of time thinking about your own purpose, you might have some preconceived ideas about the purpose of life. 

These baked-in ideas about life often come from our family and the communities we grow up in.  

In the opinion of some people - The purpose of our life is to get married and have kids. Or, maybe it's earning a certain amount of money or achieving a certain position in society. 

Purpose is the long game, not the short-term goal. You never get to the end of it. More often than not, your purpose blends with what interests you and brings you joy. 

WHY DISCOVER PURPOSE? 

Have you ever woken up in a dark room with no source of light at all? 

Did you manage to do anything worthwhile? No?

Well , that’s how living a life without a clear purpose is. 

The combination of a successful career, a loving family, and a strong social network may seem like the recipe for a perfect life; however, those that can check all of these boxes still feel like "something's missing" 

Some people may ask, 

Why do I have to find out the reason God created me? 

Why can't I just live my life the way I want it? Here are a few points on this:

This is the only way to live the best life 

It causes your thoughts and actions to be aligned with your purpose 

It brings joy and fulfillment knowing that you're living the life that God created you to live 

Extensive research has brought out that key factors to finding meaning in life are: Values - Principles - Purpose - Accomplishment

CHALLENGES TO THIS QUEST 

Remember you're on a quest and a mission to find the reason why God Almighty brought you to planet Earth, by doing this you will arouse opposition from the devil and his agents challenges or obstacles will appear that can stand in the way of discovering the purpose of life. 

Sometimes you may find yourself: 

• Being forced by outside influences to go down a life path you don’t enjoy and isn’t aligned with your sense of purpose. 

• Prioritizing money and prestige above doing what you love – which can derail your progress and stop you from figuring out what you want to do with your life. 

• Your own fear of the unknown 

• Certainties Limiting Beliefs 

• Feeling that it’s too late to find your true purpose. 

Truth is it’s never too late to start doing what makes you happy!
There are people who found their life purpose in their 70s or even older and it has completely transformed their lives and made them happier than they have ever been. 

The only way to overcome these obstacles is to pinpoint them and then learn to ignore anything that sends you in the wrong direction and focus on activities that help you achieve your purpose-driven 

BOOSTERS TO PURPOSE DISCOVERY

These factors will be of help on this magnificent journey of finding out why God created you:

SELF CARE: This has a tremendous effect on our brains. When our brains are relaxed, they are at their most creative. 

You cannot achieve anything when you keep overthinking or battling with yourself. 

Have you ever noticed that some of your best ideas come when you’re in the shower? Or when you're in a calm state of mind? 

That’s because our minds are more open and receptive to the flow of ideas than they are when we try to force ourselves to think. 

Take time to ensure that you take good care of yourself, it helps boost creative thinking and overall body fitness.

READ: This is one of the ways to expand your mental horizon and improves empathy. Reading also connects you to other people across time, place, and cultures. This helps you cultivate the sense of connectedness that generates a sense of purpose in life. 

THE RIGHT PEOPLE: On the quest for discovery and achievement of purpose it is important that you spend time not just with anyone, but with people who inspire and motivate you You must have an evaluation of every relationship in your life and sieve out the non-profitable ones to make way for the more important ones. Motivational speaker 

Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” 

If you spend time with people who are positive and purpose-driven, they will inspire you to have the same mindset 

EXPLORE YOUR PASSION: Your talents and gifts are pointers to the future that God has created for you. 

There's a very interesting writeup in the book of  1Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”" 

You most likely are already utilizing your talents in ways that you might not even be aware of. A great way to find your passion is to think about what you're good at; those things that bring big achievements with little effort someone who’s great at helping others solve their problems might want to consider a career as a coach. 

BE OF SERVICE: Whether you decide to spend two Saturdays a month serving meals in a soup kitchen, or you volunteer to drive your elderly neighbor to the grocery store once a week, doing something kind for others can make you feel as though your life has meaning. 

But try as much as possible to be of service to the people around you in what little ways and manners you can. This brings out the sense of a purposeful life 

DEFINE YOUR PRIORITIES: To live an extraordinary life, you need to live your life. The majority of people across the world live their lives according to the expectations of others. They build their habits and schedules around what their friends, families, and society want for them. 

PROGRESS: Progress equals happiness. Achieving goals does not equal happiness.” So if you’re asking yourself, “What is my purpose?,” what you’re really asking for is progress – a true sense of fulfillment. And fulfillment isn’t a luxury or leisure activity – it’s a necessity. 

It takes confidence to live your life according to your priorities. This is especially true if your priorities are different from your loved ones. 

You need to figure out what matters to you most and the false objectives that you are currently working towards. “You do not write your life with words…You write it with actions.

What you think is not important. It is only important what you do” —Patrick Ness

Now, this isn't the end we are next going to be discussing ways on which you can find out God's plan for your life.