If we only knew the answer to that question: “what was I created to do?” Finding your purpose sounds so elusive. But it’s possible! We could wake up every morning PUMPED! EXCITED! PASSIONATE! Do you ever feel like that? Like you wish you knew what you were created to do? That would feel amazing! The alarm would go off and we’d think:
It’s a brand new DAY, man! Let’s DO THIS THING!
So what if it’s raining, I’m wearing my cute purple rain jacket and DANCING IN THE RAIN!
Yeah, I know the house is a mess, but HEY! I can tell Alexa to PLAY SOME MUSIC while I vacuum!
(This is where I imagine the camera cuts to my bed, where this was all “Coppelia in a dream”, giving herself a pep talk, using ALL CAPS a lot. In reality, I hit snooze three minutes ago and pulled the covers back up, even though I really had to go to the bathroom. That would happen about ten minutes later.)
Our reality is seldom what it should be, right?
Deep down in our heart, we know that if we lived in our purpose, if we only knew what we were meant to do, we’d be killing the game! Making the money! Inspiring the people!
But we’re waking up, maybe tired, maybe excited, maybe dreading the to do list that is WAY longer than the time we have to do it. Wouldn’t we be good if only we could do it ALL?
So (age old question again), can we really “Do. It. All”?
What if we could get direction from the ONE who created us to begin with? He is perfectly knowledgeable about what we’re supposed to do, who we’re supposed to be when we grow up, and how we’re supposed to best manage our time.
As a Christian, I truly believe that, not just for me, but also for you, God has so many plans for us! He created us lovingly and passionately, like an artist creating a masterpiece.
But wait … how many times do we look in the mirror and see “a beautiful painting? A masterful sculpture?” Probably not. At least I don’t.
I think, more often than not, we see under-eye circles, scars, blemishes and the extra weight we wish we didn’t have. An artistic masterpiece? Maybe you could call us a weird-looking modern abstract piece. But not a “masterpiece.” I look at other women and sometimes think, “Oh, look! They had time to do their hair, and look at this crazy messy bun. Can’t I do better? No wonder I’m not living in my purpose.”
Even God must be wondering why I can’t get my act together.
See, and this is where we need to stop being ridiculous.
Why do we think God is disappointed in us? He loved us while we were still sinners. He died for us and made a way for us to live forgiven and free!
He’s the father to the fatherless. Not the distant dictator.
He’s the prince of peace. Not the captain of chaos.
So where does this leave us when it comes to finding out what we were created to do?
All of this soul searching leads us to the perfect place! I’ll keep it simple.
Here are 3 Simple Steps to Figuring Out What We Were Created to Do
Pray (A conversation).
Meditate (A thought process).
Write. (An action plan)
Let’s start with the first one:
Pray.
We don’t have to overspiritualize this. Prayer is a conversation. And the God of the Universe is ready for us. Isn’t that freaking AMAZING?! We can start this whole “discovering our purpose” thing with a simple prayer/conversation.
Think of it as a meeting with a peace-filled loving Father. Just you and him. And it’s ok if you feel like you don’t have a relationship with Him. He’s SO ready to meet with you! A short prayer can be the beginning of this relationship:
“Jesus, I believe you are real, even though I can’t see you. Please forgive my sins. I know I’ve messed up, but I don’t want to miss what I was created to do! Would you please show me what that is or at least what my next step should be? Thanks!”
Meditate.
One of the best ways I’ve found we can hear from God is to meditate (spend time thinking about) his word, The Bible. You can get the Bible app (I love this one), or dust off a Bible on your shelf. I’ve been known to Google “Bible verses about direction, God’s will, plans, goals, money, etc…”
You might be surprised by what God has already said that applies EXACTLY to your situation!
Write.
I love to blog, so writing is my JAM! But even if you don’t want to write an elaborate blog post or fill up pages in a journal, you can literally just write bullet points on a napkin. It doesn’t matter how or where, but there is something about writing things down that makes our brain process things differently. Kind of like taking notes in school. It just drives the point home. You remember it more.
As you pray and meditate on God’s word, when plans or ideas come to mind, write them down.
Write down the things that are heavy on your heart and mind (It could be things like: I need direction to figure out if this job offer is the right one. Or I’m not sure if I should apply for this college course, or buy this domain to launch a blog, or sit down and write that book I always wanted to write, etc…)
Pray about those things. Look up Bible verses about those things. Think about and meditate on what God says about those things. And, hopefully sooner than later, you’ll get the ideas and write down how God led you to the solution!
Just 3 steps to finding your purpose? Really?!
It sounds simple. Can those 3 steps really help? Honestly, I’ve seen it help me tons of times in my life. So I hope in sharing what’s helped me, it might help you, too!
Sometimes we don’t see the design as it’s drawn, but the more it takes shape, the clearer it becomes.
In the future, you might be surprised (as I have been!) to see how things fall into place. When you look back, you might be amazed at the answers God gave, the direction he led you in and how you finally discovered what you were created to do! Try it!
Laughing (praying, meditating and writing) thru life,
Coppelia
