Monday, March 1, 2010
Finding our God-given purpose in life can be a daunting task, can’t it?
God created each of us for a purpose and has given each of us spiritual gifts for carrying out our purpose. He has designed us with a unique personal style of relating to others and to our circumstances. He has created us with a passion or heart’s desire to make a difference. God wants us to continually grow in our spiritual development and to fulfill specific ministry needs.
But how do we do that?
It is sometimes a matter of connecting the dots of your life to determine how you can best serve Christ. In my ministry at Christ United Methodist Church I help groups and individuals connect the dots to show them how to become fruitful and fulfilled in service to God. I typically use 3 questions to drive this process: Who am I? Where am I going? And how am I going to get there? Whether designing a new ministry or helping a woman with her faith journey, frequently returning to these 3 questions helps us to keep moving forward in finding our purpose.
To answer the question, “Who am I?” we do a Life Map that shows the peaks and valleys of your spiritual life. Then we do spiritual gifts assessments and discover your skills and passions in life.
To answer the question, “Where am I going?” we write our values, vision, and a mission statement. Then we’re able to identify our purpose and the area of service where we want to focus.
Then to answer the question, “How am I going to get there?” we create an action plan that sets us moving forward.
These 3 questions are asked frequently during a ministry’s growth or an individual’s journey.
What I also realize in my ministry is the widespread challenge that we face in finding purpose in a broken world. What happens to your purpose when your plans fail? When you face disappointment? Catastrophe? Divorce? Death? Nothing can stand in the way of God’s purpose as Psalm 57:2 reminds us,
“I cry out to God most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.”
I recently spoke at a Scenic City Women’s Network lunch and shared how the three questions have shaped my own spiritual growth through a series of trials and tribulations that tested my faith. You can hear this speech by clicking on the following link: www.christplace.org/pdfs/ScenicCityFeb2010.mp3
God created each of us for a purpose and has given each of us spiritual gifts for carrying out our purpose. He has designed us with a unique personal style of relating to others and to our circumstances. He has created us with a passion or heart’s desire to make a difference. God wants us to continually grow in our spiritual development and to fulfill specific ministry needs.
But how do we do that?
It is sometimes a matter of connecting the dots of your life to determine how you can best serve Christ. In my ministry at Christ United Methodist Church I help groups and individuals connect the dots to show them how to become fruitful and fulfilled in service to God. I typically use 3 questions to drive this process: Who am I? Where am I going? And how am I going to get there? Whether designing a new ministry or helping a woman with her faith journey, frequently returning to these 3 questions helps us to keep moving forward in finding our purpose.
To answer the question, “Who am I?” we do a Life Map that shows the peaks and valleys of your spiritual life. Then we do spiritual gifts assessments and discover your skills and passions in life.
To answer the question, “Where am I going?” we write our values, vision, and a mission statement. Then we’re able to identify our purpose and the area of service where we want to focus.
Then to answer the question, “How am I going to get there?” we create an action plan that sets us moving forward.
These 3 questions are asked frequently during a ministry’s growth or an individual’s journey.
What I also realize in my ministry is the widespread challenge that we face in finding purpose in a broken world. What happens to your purpose when your plans fail? When you face disappointment? Catastrophe? Divorce? Death? Nothing can stand in the way of God’s purpose as Psalm 57:2 reminds us,
“I cry out to God most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.”
I recently spoke at a Scenic City Women’s Network lunch and shared how the three questions have shaped my own spiritual growth through a series of trials and tribulations that tested my faith. You can hear this speech by clicking on the following link: www.christplace.org/pdfs/ScenicCityFeb2010.mp3
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