“True happiness… is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
~ Helen Keller ~

The greatest treasure a person can posses is the gift of purpose! Purpose gives us meaning. It leads us to action. One of the greatest questions we all ask at some point in our life, if not many times is…”What is my purpose?” We can sometimes feel overwhelmed by this question. We can get bogged down in the stress of what is our purpose.

We hear from others that we need to “find our purpose,” which is a true statement, but there has to be more than just finding purpose. Many think that one day they will wake up and “find their purpose.” But I have found that there is a better way to look at purpose. A better perspective of what purpose is all about. The better question to ask yourself is “Am I living with purpose?”

You see purpose is different for every area of your life. You may have a different purpose for family time than you do for your job. You may have a different purpose for your health than you do your finances. The reality is that purpose changes over time. I believe that we have multiple purposes in life. Life changes. Circumstances change. Culture changes. People change. So because of this change I believe that our purpose can change as well. I believe we basically have 2 purposes in life. Here is what I mean…

1. Seasonal Purpose

We have what I call seasonal purposes. These are things that God has called us to do for the season we are in. Most things in life are seasonal. They come and go. Doors open up and we walk through them. We receive orders and accomplish them. You see purpose is not a destination. You don’t spend your time trying to get to your purpose and then you are done because you arrived. No, life is a series of seasonal purposes that God calls us to. Those seasons may be weeks, months, years or decades. The amount of time does not matter as much as identifying what we are called to do in those seasons does matter. You may be in a season of raising small children that will one day change when they grow older and move out. You may be in a season of working on a project that will one day be over. You may be in a season of growth preparing yourself for the future. Whatever season you are in be faithful to fulfill it. You will never move on to the next season of your life until you finish the one you are in. You can’t skip seasons of purpose. You move from one to the next in the order God has designed it. Just like our climate has natural seasonal changes in a specific order so our lives change in a specific order. We don’t jump from winter to summer. The earth needs the spring to water and prepare the ground for the summer. So our lives need each season to build on top of each other for our purposes to be fulfilled. So embrace your seasonal purpose and focus on it. Maximize the purpose of the season you are in now and God will bring about the next when it is time. Know that each seasonal purpose compounds as it builds on top of each other opening up the door for more things.

 2. Life Purpose

Our life purpose is the over-all purpose of our life. It never changes. It stands the test of time. I believe our life purpose is simple. We are called to know God and make Him known in all the earth. The purpose to know God is our most important call. It is the very reason of our existence to be in relationship with God. We were created because of God’s desire to be with us. Until we understand the purpose of relationship with God we will never truly understand anything else. God is a God of relationship not just religion. Religion is a system, relationship is a friendship. Above anything we could ever do, we are first called to be a lover of God.

We are also called to make Him known. If you are a follower of Christ you are called to go and make disciples and share the good news of Jesus. This is not just for evangelist. Sure some have a specific gift of evangelism, but we are all called to spread the gospel. Everything we do should line up with the call to make God known. It is our compass that guides our actions so when others see us they see Christ in us. Our life purpose to know God and make Him known should be the core of our “why.”  When we filter everything we do through our life purpose our seasonal purposes become powerful.

So life is about living with purpose. Everything you do make sure that you are purposeful about it! Quit waiting for purpose to hit you and simply start living with purpose in ALL that you do! When you live with purpose, you live a fulfilled life!

Check this out to read more about purpose…BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL PERSON IS…