Purpose: Is it Evasive or are We?
by Karley Fernandez
Sunset (2020). Image courtesy of Karley Fernandez.
Waking up this morning, I didn’t ponder "purpose" or the bigger picture. I never do. I'm somewhat of a Scrooge in the mornings: Don't talk to me. Don't touch me. I need my coffee first. Robotically I deal with mundane everyday requirements like letting my dogs out, logging into work on time (now that I've been teleworking for months due to the coronavirus), and yes, making multiple cups of coffee.
When I've fully awakened, stress kicks in. I need to do this or take care of that, compiling a massive mental to-do list with things I know I need to complete each day. If your to-do lists are anything like mine, they consume your days, leave you what feels like no time for self-care, for hobbies, for sporadic activities. What I always seem to have time for, however, is reflecting, deranged, and sleepless at 3 a.m., about how I'm not doing anything worthwhile to fulfill my God-given individual purpose. Then, in my zombie state, I scroll through social media platforms like Instagram, looking at what others are doing, just to pass the time. It also may be somewhat of an addiction **heh. Herein lies my problem.
Some of my favorite fitness inspos— Senada Greca, Hannah Bower, Kaisa Keranen, Heidi Somers, to name a handful—are social media influencers who are diligent masters of fitness and holistic health.
Schitt’s Creek gif. Image courtesy of Giphy.
Their content displays their dedication to a healthy routine and a PURPOSE-driven lifestyle. While I would argue positive routines like theirs are essential to our mental and physical health, unhealthy habits are sneaky snakes that distract from God's purpose for our lives.
Wait, slow down. Back up. What is purpose exactly? How do we find it?
Dictionary.com defines purpose (as a noun) in the following way:
The reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
An intended or desired result; end; aim; goal.
Determination; resoluteness.
Now in my searching for purpose in the Bible, I have never come across a verse that says,
ATTENTION: KARLEY – HERE is exactly what you should be doing each day to fulfill your God-given purpose.
There are, however, many Bible verses and stories that dance around the idea of individual purpose. Our overall purpose as Christians is to be the Lord's light, the salt of the earth, to love like Jesus, to lead others to Him. At least that is how I interpret His word. But when it comes to how we do that individually, using our unique gifts, the Bible seems less direct in its instruction.
While I am not a fan of biblical cherry-picking, I'd like to focus my attention solely on the book of Proverbs for this piece, simply to streamline the conversation.
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. By steadfast love and faithfulness, iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil. When a man's way pleases the Lord, he makes even his enemies be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
And then later, in the book,
The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Hmm…So What Does All That Mean?
Let's extract. The Bible says to "commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." So if we're living for God, praying over our decisions and for clarity, and using our God-given gifts, the direction we take is the right one. If we are living righteously and are pure of spirit (Yes, making mistakes is a part of it.), the Lord will establish the steps of our plans.
None of this means finding our way will be easy. I think living a purpose-driven life is the single most significant struggle of the people of this world. Let me circle back to my earlier point about routine and distractions. You've probably heard something about the Internet that says it is both the greatest invention and the worst. I believe there's more good than bad to it if it's used responsibly. But binge-scrolling through social media, unwittingly and subconsciously developing Social Comparison Theory is defined as "the idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others," can derail our journeys. Social Comparison Theory, frequently known as "compare and despair" syndrome, has been around a long time, but social media has exploited it and built it an empire.
Thus my mindless scrolling at 3 a.m., oohing and ahhing at others' publicly portrayed lives, does me harm, distracts me from my purpose. It shows me that there's always someone out there doing life differently than me, which I perceive as doing it better than me most of the time. While comparing ourselves to others on social media, even POSITIVE influences (like my fitness influencers) can kick us in the rear to strive for something better, most of the time social media is a distraction from us leading a purpose-driven life.
Distraction gif. Image courtesy of Giphy.
Our everyday routines can be distractions too. Or even excuses for not searching for and then pursuing our purpose. While I feel both comfort and disdain in routine, the wrong routines can delay what should be an urgency to fulfill a calling. I know my purpose. I found it eight years ago, but I've done nothing but procrastinate, trying to mentally assure myself it's not the right time to pursue it.
In November 2012, I sat in a church pew in rural Hale County, Alabama, and experienced a sign from God, a call to write songs that would become popular in the secular music industry but that discreetly shed light on God's Word. This would be my way to share the gospel and to lead others to Him. This IS my purpose.
But day in and day out, I find ways not to do it or tell God it's just too hard. Or it won't work. Or "I'll get to it soon" once I'm in a better, more financially stable place in my life. I tell myself songwriting is just a passion, not a career. I resort to my routines, and then in moments of deep thought in the early hours of the morning, I find myself ashamed of what little I have genuinely accomplished for God's kingdom. I dare say few people in this world can tell you EXACTLY what God's purpose is for their lives and who wake up to live it out each day.
Sometimes we wait around for this "a-ha!" moment that never comes. Or, we have that moment, but we rationalize it, question it, or dismiss it and don't see it for what it is: a sign from God. If you're like me, you let distraction cut in and routinely push back purpose in a constant bout of procrastination posed as "being too busy" with other things.
Could we possibly be filling our lives with things to do in an unintentional avoidance of doing something more significant? Let us pray for God to establish our steps as we begin a journey of self-discovery. What do you think would happen if we put down our phones, our distractions, our vices, and our unnecessary busyness? Could we then draw understanding from the deepest waters of our hearts? And are we brave enough to execute under God's plan?
Purpose gif. Image courtesy of Giphy.
Resources
We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.
The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.
And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.
Read. Engage. Enjoy!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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