The Little Book of Purpose

combination of counsel and candor that would make a difference for how you might better understand what having a sense of purpose can mean, to help you realize much more in your coming and going and in your relationships with others. I thought about what you might want to discover about what God thinks about you and the plan He has for your life. I thought, most of all, about sharing something with you that you can share with others as you travel through life’s ins and outs and as you learn how to thrive each step of the way. If you are already familiar with biblical scripture, you will find helpful reminders in this book, as well as fresh insights you can weave into what you may have previously known about God’s promises and plans. If you are new to reading the Bible or still learning about who God is, this book is written for you too, with easy-to-read references that don’t require deep theology. A specially captured nature-based photo accompanies each chapter, which I hope will help inspire moments of serenity and reflection. A poem I authored is included for your intimate reflection. Sections for your personal notes are available in the last chapter where you may add quiet thoughts, desires, prayers or updates as you step forward in purpose. See yourself in the unfolding conversation and make the journey through this book your own. I trust you will enjoy reading, feel encouraged by knowing, and experience fulfillment when you apply what you find in these pages to your own life. Many years ago, I hit a crisis. I had been laid off from a job I enjoyed and was forced to search for my next gig. Coming off of a successful run with a progressive organization and cohesive team, I looked forward to another empowering work experience. What I walked into, though, was quite the opposite. To say the least, it was stressful. It was not so much the responsibilities of my role or interactions with colleagues that caused the stress. It just felt strangely void of something, and that bad vibe began to leave its mark, literally. My emotions were out of balance, I wasn’t sleeping well, and my physical appearance began to show evidence of unhappiness. My family was concerned, and I was concerned. Complicating matters was the financial circumstance of leading a single-income household as my wife and I chose to embark on homeschooling our three very young children. Even more challenging was the need to care for my mother-in-law who had come to live with us temporarily to receive medical and rehabilitative care after a stroke. It was all too much. Back to a very blank and burdened drawing board. Two months went by, filled with circulating my resume, job hunting, circulating my resume, job hunting, and repeat. After three months, nothing. I was seriously worried and deeply discouraged. Desperate? Not yet, but certainly despondent. I use the term “being” when discussing purpose because being on purpose is about the essence of what you notice has transpired and not merely having done something intentionally or “on purpose”. It’s about experiencing, not just executing. Having a sense of purpose is about your conscious awareness of what has changed in you over and above completed actions attributable to you. As you discovered in Chapter 1, purpose is experiential. Purpose does not suddenly surge into our consciousness at the completion of a good deed or at the conclusion of a life event. A sense of purpose is lived, daily and continuously, and spans our relationships and interactions at home, at work, at school, among those in our faith community and in our neighborhoods. You don’t have to travel miles across the ocean to encounter purpose or donate large sums of money to find meaning. Purpose is about using your God-designed gifts and your released potential in an assignment or environment uniquely prepared and specifically selected by Him where you thrive and where others experience transformation. That can happen anywhere, and it can continue to happen wherever you go. Operate knowing you are more than one-dimensional. You may not be able to—nor should you feel like you need to—do everything well, but the one thing you have an opportunity to do will require a combined showing of your gifts and talents. There are different ways to make a difference. It has been said that to be able to do anything with intention, it is helpful to start with the end in mind. More precisely, though, is to start with the effect in mind. For the things you commit to through purpose, there should be a reason behind it; and if there is a reason behind it, there is a specific relationship around it. That relationship is with the One who knows your origins and your offerings, and this means that He knows what’s important to you. Do you know what’s important to you? It has been said that knowledge is power but when it comes to purpose, the power of knowledge is liberty. With each purpose-driven success, you experience freedom to trust, freedom to believe, freedom from unreleased potential, freedom to know that your silent victories speak volumes in God’s ear. Preparation for purpose is indispensable. The conditions and adverse circumstances we find ourselves in help ready us for upcoming breakthroughs. There isn’t just one purpose in play. Purpose comes in multiples. As you operate on purpose, there are clear moments in time when you experience the feeling of a work or task being complete with God’s leading and help. Approaching a feeling of closure, you feel satisfied that you gave all you were gifted and able to give within the opportunity provided for you. It’s more than just seeing things to completion but also a recognition of your own change and coming into completeness.