Do you know why you do what you do? Each leader engages in their relationships and vocation for a reason or reasons. Only around 25% of Americans adults cite having a clear sense of what makes their lives meaningful, according to an analysis in The New York Times, while 40% either claim neutrality on the subject, or say they don't.[1] A 2010 study published in Applied Psychology found that individuals with high levels of eudemonic well-being—which involves having a sense of purpose along with a sense of control and a feeling like what you do is worthwhile—tend to live longer.[2] Clarifying life purpose, then, is important to both your health and happiness. But where does this sense of purpose come from?
Rationalists might convince you that true purpose comes from the pursuit of your own happiness. Craig Biddle writes for The Objective, “What if you want to live in accordance with your own judgment and embrace purposes of your own choosing—purposes such as a career that you love and that challenges you and rewards your efforts; recreational activities and friendships that fuel your soul; a romantic relationship full of love, laughter, and pleasure; dreams and ambitions that motivate you constantly to strive, improve, and enjoy life all the more? In other words, what if you want the purpose of your life to be the achievement of your own happiness? After all, it is your life. Shouldn’t the purpose of your life be about you?”[3]
The issue with this view of purpose is that it resides completely within the self. Ultimately we will not be fulfilled by simply pursuing our own satisfaction. Though certainly not a theologian, even scientist Albert Einstein realized this. He said, “A human being is part of the whole—called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.”[4] In other words, if we try to find meaning within ourselves and our limited viewpoints, ultimately our pursuit will be too restricted to mean anything significant. Life purpose in which we find true meaning is much bigger than the self.
A sense of purpose is first spiritual. A sense of purpose is about establishing a set of values, principles and beliefs that give life meaning to you, and then using them to guide the decisions and actions you take. In a spiritual sense, your purpose is not driven by anything you want to own, or your career choice, or where you live—though these may be a reflection of your purpose. “If there is no God,” writes theologian William Lane Craig, “there is no purpose” and “there can be no objective meaning in life.”[5] If your belief is in Scripture, then Genesis 1:1 provides the foundation for finding purpose: “In the beginning, God created…” If this is true, then purpose simply cannot be found outside the One Who made everything, and thus understands His creation at the most fundamental level.
Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.” Realize that your purpose first comes from God. If you are blatantly living in disobedience to God’s commands (or “living in sin”), then you are not fulfilling God’s purpose for you. If your sense of purpose is not aligned with God’s purposes, then your direction is not God’s intent for you. Spiritual purpose is always found in knowing and being obedient to the instructions of the Bible, also called God’s Word. If you feel purposeless, ask God to give you wisdom and direction. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
A sense of purpose is second personal. If dread and apathy greet you in the bathroom mirror each morning, you are not doing what you were meant to do. Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, “And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” Your purpose will be specific to your talents, abilities, skill set and—importantly—what makes you happy (the Bible uses the word “joy”).
Notice here that personal happiness is related to spiritual pursuit. Perhaps you are great at finance, or have artistic talent, or can organize, or can build with your hands—whatever activities you most identify with, they are accompanied by a personal passion. This is the idea that the core of your daily set of actions is rooted not in self-fulfillment, but a fundamental belief. What are you doing that gives you a sense of meaning?
A sense of purpose is third relational. In many ways you are defined by the relationships that you have. Your parents and siblings define your family. Your spouse (or not) defines your marriage. Your coworkers and partners define your business. Your friends define your personal interests. While it’s possible to live a very isolated life, a purposeful life will by necessity have connections to others. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Among the ways God will help you find your purpose is through others.
Not only will conversation with others help you find purpose, but helping others and expressing thanks are also foundations for finding meaning in all corners of both theology and psychology. In one study, for example, Daryl Van Tongeren and colleagues found that people who engage in more altruistic behaviors, like volunteering or donating money, tend to have a greater sense of purpose in their lives.[6] In a second experiment within this study, the researchers randomly assigned some participants to write letters of gratitude—and those people later reported a stronger sense of purpose.
The best-selling book of all time is the Bible. Among the top 25 best-selling books of all time, though, is a recent addition—The Purpose-Driven Life, by Rick Warren, at 50+ million copies. Of determining purpose, Warren writes, “If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego. You were designed to worship God and if you fail to worship Him, you will create other things (idols) to give your life to.”
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/upshot/finding-purpose-for-a-good-life-but-also-a-healthy-one.html
[2] https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-for-finding-your-purpose-in-life-4164689
[3] https://theobjectivestandard.com/2019/05/purpose-comes-from-reason-not-religion/
[4] https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/who-are-we-where-do-we-come-from-what-is-our-purpose-where-are-we-going-5b703948d56e
[5] William Lane Craig, “The Absurdity of Life without God,” https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/popular-writings/existence-nature-of-god/the-absurdity-of-life-without-god/
[6] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2015.1048814
There are aspects of the Father that go above our heads. Though we can’t possibly know all the ways of God, we can know, in a broad sense, how God’s ways are higher our ways.