Three Lies You Believe About Your God-Given Purpose
What comes to mind when you think of what your God-given purpose may be? Do you think your purpose is about pursuing a certain career? Being a stay-at-home wife or mom? Or maybe living a successful, worry-free life?
Before I uncovered my true purpose, my idea of a purpose-driven life was having a thriving marriage and a successful corporate job that allowed me the freedom to indulge in the little things (like weekend brunches of course) and the occasional travel, while doing work that matters. And while there is nothing wrong with desiring a nice lifestyle, a successful career, and meaningful relationships, those things are not our purpose in its entirety. In fact, roles, pursuits, and lifestyles are only one dimension of our purpose. So in this blog post, I want to address those one-dimensional beliefs as a part of the common myths we tend to believe about our God-given purpose.
Myth #1: Happiness, health, and wealth are automatic guarantees of walking in purpose.
Many people have a prosperity approach toward purpose ( i.e. believing that if you’re following the will of God for your life that wealth, health, and happiness are to follow). But where do you see that in the Bible? Many people in the Bible, including Jesus himself, experienced pain, suffering, hardship, and sometimes even poverty. In fact, in Hebrews 11 Paul gives an account of the greats of faith who died in result of pursuing God’s call. And guess what? They were still in the will of God. They were accomplishing their purpose. So why do we think that once we accept God’s call that we’re entitled to a life exempt from pain and suffering? Pain and suffering are results of living in a fallen, broken world. So we can’t expect that the journey to our purpose and calling will always be sunshine, butterflies, and roses.
Although suffering is not a part of God’s plan, He will use anything and everything for our good and for His purpose. And sometimes it is out of suffering where the greatest sense of purpose is produced. So does God want us to be happy, healthy, and wealthy? Absolutely! But He also wants us to have a biblical approach and understanding of all we may encounter in our journey to His purposes and promises for us.
Myth #2: Purpose is tied to a job, role, or assignment.
Yes, God may call us to a job, role, or assignment but this is not our purpose in itself. These things are simply vehicles for our purpose, mainly because God can call us to many different things. I am called to be a life coach, a wife, and a mother. But God forbid if I lose my husband or children. Or what if God calls me to a different career? Does that mean that I no longer have a purpose? No that means that my role or assignment has changed, but guess what? My purpose remains the same. As we experience life changes and continue on in our purpose journey, the Lord will provide us with many avenues and sources for us to channel our God-given purpose. When we understand what that purpose is, it gives us the freedom to not be bound by a single title or role and instead be open to all the ways God wants to accomplish His purpose through us.
Myth #3: I have to be operating in the fullness of my calling right now.
One of the biggest myths you can believe is that once you received revelation of your calling, that it’s time for your release. You may know your purpose and you may have received the call, but that doesn’t mean that you will be walking in the fullness of it right now. Purpose is a process and calling requires preparation. Look at Joseph, David, and even Jesus. Their purpose was already inside of them, but it took a while before they were were actually carrying out their assignment. In order for us to fully maximize the season of our calling that we’re in, we have to understand where we are at in our journey. Knowing where you are in your purpose and calling journey helps you to have realistic expectations and avoid unnecessary disappointment.
Oftentimes we believe that our purpose is one-dimensional, meaning there is only one facet of our purpose. But the truth is our purpose is an integration of being, doing, and living. No part is meant to be mutually exclusive. If we believe that there is only one way we’re meant to live out our destiny, we stifle the many ways that God wants to accomplish His purpose not only through us but in us.
What lies do you believe about your God-given purpose? Do you need more clarity and confirmation about what yours really is? Discover how you can quiet the voice of culture to uncover your purpose and design a life that you and God love in a complimentary Discovery Session.
Want to learn more about how you can live a life that’s in alignment with God’s purpose and plan? Download the free Live On Purpose Lifestyle Guide.
