Making our Purpose a Life Message
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Making a life seems insurmountable, but it is a task we should re-evaluate regularly. God calls us to affirm our divine purpose and live our lives faithfully and fulfill our sacred purpose. Karen Nimmo, the author of the article “You Don’t Need a Grand Purpose in Life, You Just Need This,” quotes Mahatma Gandhi, “My life is my message.” Therefore, we are called to focus on our life purpose regularly and the message it is sharing.
Write down what you want your life message to be, and at least quarterly, evaluate your plans and actions to make sure they remain in line with your purpose. Nimmo challenges, “It’s about that what you do with your time, how you go about it, the people you live and engage with, the feelings you leave them with.” She continues, “It’s about how you serve.” But, I would add, it is also about who you serve. Your purpose should be influenced by the God you’ve chosen to serve and emulate.
Some of Nimmo’s recommendations for living your purpose include, “Help others without (necessarily) being paid for it.” When we are paid, warmth and genuine care are expected. We proclaim a faithful life message when we follow it when no one is watching. Nimmo also challenges us to “Limit your time on Easy Street.” We all need time to veg out and enjoy mindless distraction, but making entertainment a priority can quickly become addictions that subtly move us away from our purpose and leave us with a shallow life message.
Today, prayerfully ask God to help you live your values. Yet do not leave it to God. It is also essential for you to do your work. God will meet you halfway but will not spoon-feed you. We are called to do the work, and God will bless what we are doing. Making our lives the message of faith means a relationship of respect, learning, growing, pain, and love. A life of purpose and faith requires us to do the work and trust God to guide our message. When God is part of our message, considering our purpose will no longer be insurmountable but as normal to us as breathing.
