Reflection: What Is Your Purpose For Living?

By Oscar O'Lawrence

Did you know that knowing your purpose makes decisions easier? Have you defined your purpose? Your mission statement? Your reason for getting out of bed and doing whatever it is you do?

I just finished reading a book by Mr. Rick Warren called "The Purpose Driven Life". In this book, he says, and I quote:

“The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.”

I used to think my purpose was defined by what people thought about me. 1. Praise = fulfilling my purpose. 2. Lack of praise = not fulfilling my purpose. The truth . . . I was focusing on myself even though I thought I was thinking about others, and it left me exhausted, dissatisfied, and depressed.

Defining My Purpose:
Last year, I did some soul-searching by asking myself some important questions.

By the time I had finished, I realized my God-given purpose could be found in Jesus words in Matthew 22:37-39:

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Pretty straightforward really . . .

Love God
Love Others
Love Myself

Straightforward. Maybe. But not easy. Especially the last one. As a dedicated “people pleaser” loving myself was low on my list of to do’s. To help me make the changes I needed to make I started asking myself . . .

Three Important Questions:
1. Does this show my love for God?
2. Does this show my love for others?
3. Does this show my love for myself?

Three simple questions easily answered “yes” or “no.”

Should I exercise? – Does this show love for myself?

Should I call my friend and complain about __________? – Does this show my love for others?

Should I rest on the Sabbath? – Does this show my love for God?

Should I eat this? – Does this show my love for myself?

Should I buy that? – Does this show my love for God’s blessings in my life?

Should I ____________? – Does this show my love for __________?

By asking myself “does this show love,” I do much less worrying about the opinions of others. I’m able to focus on my goals, and I’m happy to say my overall mood is greatly improved.

If you’re looking for more energy, less stress, and greater satisfaction . . . I suggest you consider asking yourself these three important questions as you live out your purpose.

God bless you and keep you safe.

(Oscar O'Lawrence preaches peace upon the earth, live at peace with everyone, everywhere)