How to Find and Live Your Purpose - a free webinar on May 25th at 12 PM CST.
Uncover Your Purpose: What is God’s purpose for us personally? How do we find it and live it?
Strategic Life Planning: Set and achieve goals that resonate with your purpose and deepest values.
Impact and Influence: Create change in career, family, and community.
Elijah was a great prophet in the Bible who found clear purpose when the world got loud, and hearing the voice of the diving felt all but impossible. There was a turning point in his story that applies to us, non-prophets. Here it is:
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
1 Kings 19:11-12
Life can get loud, overwhelming, and disorienting at any given season. The way out of it is a moment of extreme clarity that provides a sense of purpose that we can live out with relentless passion. It’s not our circumstances that change but how we make sense of them. When clarity of purpose becomes the center of our existence, we are filled with joy, drive, and a capacity to overcome obstacles.
If purpose is not at the center of our journey, we hide, going into survival mode and are filled with anxiety. But we can never really get away from the question Elijah kept hearing:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
I was out of college, traveling with friends, trying to decide what to do with my life and the question felt written in the starry sky during a camping trip. The question was there when I didn’t know who to date and marry when I changed careers…again, and when I moved to my sixth country. It’s still there today as my soul longs for purpose and alignment with a higher purpose for my life.
This question never goes away because we are wired for purpose. Like Elijah, we doubt and look for answers in the wrong places, and like Elijah, we thrive when we finally hear God’s voice in a gentle whisper and take decisive action. Elijah’s story tells us that the secret to human flourishing is being able to answer this question clearly at any given moment in time.
Like Elijah, we can be a deeply spiritual person and still hide, be paralyzed by fear, and be overwhelmed by the proverbial storms and earthquakes of life. We can read scriptures for inspiration but not take any meaningful action. The Bible can seem like a power-less book because we don’t live out its treasures.
Here are five examples of Scriptures that are widely quoted but often not lived out:
To approve God’s will, learn how your mind works and how to improve the way you think.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
To navigate life well, develop intuition and emotional health in a world that leans heavily on intellectual understanding.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
To find direction, actively seek wisdom as knowledge applied to real life.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."
James 1:5 (NIV)
Be confident in knowing exactly what you want and find deep joy in committed action.
"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this."
Psalm 37:4-5 (NIV)
Learn the art of disarming stress and experiencing peace as a normal state of being.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
The main reason we rarely live out these well-known scriptures is that we treat them as a source of inspiration and not a path to transformation. Elijah was ultimately able to see beyond the fire, the earthquake, and the storm and recognize God’s voice in a gentle whisper. Elijah's story is epic because we know about his fear, his search, his ultimate clarity, and the actions that followed.
If we are to live out a fulfilling, impactful life, we must develop the lifestyle and skills to answer the question: “What are you doing here ( insert your name)? We must have the ability to recognize when we’re running and hiding. We must relentlessly pursue our purpose.
I’ll share more practical advice on finding and living out purpose during our free webinar on May 25th. Claim your spot here. If you don’t see open spots, join the waiting list.
If you haven’t watched this episode of HSLive, this is a conversation with Justin Donald, author of the bestselling book The Lifestyle Investor.
We discuss our mutual love for the country of Georgia, the thinking behind the Bible-inspired principle of redeeming time (or buying back time) that drives his investment strategy, and Justin’s view of radical generosity as a way of de-idolizing money. Click here to watch a great conversation with Justin.