A few months back I was in a class that required us to come up with a life purpose statement. The goal of the exercise was to help us gain greater clarity about who we are as people and leaders. I confess that though I had come up with a statement during that week of class, I was not fully sold on it, and since that class, I have often found myself asking the Lord why I exist.
On this beautiful Sunday morning as we headed to church to celebrate the Risen Christ, I found myself reflecting on Jesus and reflecting once again upon this idea of knowing our life purpose – Jesus was so resolute in his purposes and so clear about them, that I found my heart longing for deeper clarity. So I began to write various answers to encapsulate why I exist; and in the course of writing, I wrote something that as soon as the pencil finished the sentence, I knew it was something I could embrace and be resolute in for the rest of my life.
Here it is:
To live my God-given identity, and help others find theirs.
And my God-given identity that I’m reminded of today (not an exhaustive list) contains the following truths (some my Pastor spoke about this morning):
- It’s in Christ and his birth, life, death, and resurrection that I come to understand my God-given identity.
- I’m the recipient of God’s unfailing love, His extravagant grace, and His power that is greater than anything known to man (Phil 3: 9-10)
- I’m a friend of God and have been bought with a price.
- I’m called, chosen, and empowered to serve God and serve others.
- I have a God-given purpose.
So friends, on this day where we’re reminded of the power of the cross and the hope it offers to every human being, can I encourage you to spend time thinking about the God-vision for your life.
Why do you exist?
Prayer: LORD your words tell us that you can be found by us when we search for you with our whole heart (Jer 29:13-14), so I pray for each person who is longing and searching for you today, I pray that they would experience your lavish love, your extravagant grace, and your extraordinary power. And may each one come to know their God-given identity. Amen.
Carmen, through teaching, speaking, pastoring, blogging, and podcasting, invests in others so they can lead and live better. She is the founder of LEAD Women Ministries, ordained with the PAOC, an Associate Pastor at Westside Pentecostal Church, holds an MA in Leadership & Management, and she can often be found collaborating with other leaders or organizations on projects where there are outcomes to grow people’s confidence, competence, and character.