WE ALL GO through different seasons in life, and each one has a purpose. I used to think God had one purpose for me. I wanted Him to tell me what it was so I could run as fast as I could to fulfill it and then check it off my list. But that’s not how it works.
God’s purpose for us is not a destination; it’s a journey. The word journey means the miles you can travel in one day. Our journey with God refers to how far we travel with Him in a day. It’s a daily exploration in our relationship with Him. His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22–24).
With every season, our purpose changes. Recently my husband and I became empty nesters. I didn’t anticipate how difficult that was going to be for me. For 21 years, my purpose was being a mom. Really, that’s all I ever wanted to do. So when that season of taking care of my kids each day ended, I felt devastated. I didn’t even want to get out of bed. I thought my purpose in life was over. However, what I failed to see was that I haven’t reached my destination until God calls me home.
During that transitional season I prayed, “God, if this season is over, what’s next for me?” And He answered. Here are some thoughts to remember when going through transitional periods in your life.
YOUR PURPOSE IS INSIDE YOU
You don’t have to look around for your purpose. It’s already inside you. God planted all the purposes for every season on the inside of you when He created you.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (AMPC) says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy].”
God implanted in you a sense of purpose for what He wanted you to do. You just have to ask the Holy Spirit, Who lives inside you, to reveal it.
John 16:13 (NLT) says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” We have a “future teller” living inside us. He knows the purposes and plans God has for us in the next season. If we will just ask God to reveal them to us and listen on the inside, His Spirit will reveal them.
You don’t have to look around for your purpose. It’s already inside you.
BE CONTENT IN THE UNCOMFORTABLE
Your purpose in the next season is generally going to require more of you. So you’ll need to be content in the uncomfortable. You’ll have to grow, because healthy things grow. Jesus went through the pain of the cross because He knew it would bring eternal life to all of us. Are you willing to be a little uncomfortable to get to the next purpose God has for you?
EMBRACE THE NEW
Your new purpose will look different. Even the things you do each day will change.
Matthew 9:17 (NLT) says, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
What God has for you now can’t fit into your old ways. If you hang on to your old habits in your new season, they’ll burst you wide open. We always go from glory to glory to glory, and our purposes get bigger and better. With those come new pressures and new ways of doing things. But the Holy Spirit will help you embrace a new way of thinking.
SAY YES
You have to be willing to say yes to God’s new purpose. A simple yes can carry you from one purpose to the next. God is waiting for your yes, because it opens the door for Him to come in and usher you onto your new path.
One day Jesus saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, fishing. He called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” (Matt. 4:19 NLT). They left their nets at once and followed Him. They said yes. They could have turned down that invitation but didn’t. Their yes paved the way for their next purpose of becoming Jesus’ disciples.
Moses said yes and it opened up his next purpose of leading Israel out of Egypt. Even Jesus had to say yes to the cross or we wouldn’t have a way to be saved.
BE QUIET AND LISTEN
During a hard, uncomfortable transition, it is easy to gripe and complain. But God wants us to get quiet and listen to what He’s saying.
Elijah was a great prophet at a time when Jezebel, Israel’s queen, was killing God’s prophets. When the queen threatened his life, he ran away, hid in a cave, and complained to God. While Elijah was quiet and alone, God gave him his next purpose. He was to anoint Elisha, who would eventually be the next great prophet.
Elijah had to stop crying and complaining to hear God’s still, small voice and find his next mission. The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). God is waiting for us to be quiet and listen to Him. Then He will show us our new purpose.
STAY STEADY
We have to stay steady on our journey. We must not quit on our purpose, even when we can’t see the next step. We must have faith that God will bring us through. He will never let us down. Galatians 6:9 (NLT) says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
There are plans only you can fulfill for God. That’s why He implanted a unique purpose in you. God made you on purpose, for His purpose, and He does not make mistakes. He designed you and your personality to carry out His plan.
Your divine destiny is waiting for you to step into it. But remember, it’s a journey, not a destination. And when you get up and go on that exciting journey with God, He’ll lead you into His purpose for you. And you will affect many lives.
Author
Denise Hagin Burns
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