Have you ever wondered “How do I know if what I’m doing now is my purpose?” Being in pursuit of purpose has moments of uncertainty.
I get asked some form of this question often from someone who is in pursuit of purpose.
This episode was actually requested by someone in the Purpose Collective community. Occasionally, I ask my community what they would like additional support with. Sometimes I may provide feedback directly, and in some instances like in this one, I may do a deep dive and record an entire podcast episode about it.
In this episode, I will cover:
- What uncertainty in purpose looks like and how to
- The root of uncertainty, and
- How to gain clarity in your pursuit of purpose
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What Uncertainty Looks Like
Often, I will hear someone talk about all of the ideas they have in their head. These ideas will be full of things they are interested in, things they want to do, and goals they have for themselves. You know, all of the things.
And usually their ideas have nothing to do with each other. They may have a desire to be a lawyer and political commentator, but they also want to make candles on the side and have a luxury home interiors line.
They will have so many ideas that they end up with analysis paralysis and instead of exploring one of the ideas in their head, they end up doing nothing at all.
Part of the reason they choose inaction is because ultimately, they don’t want to be wrong. We all can relate here. No one wants to be wrong, and we definitely don’t want to make the wrong decision about something as serious as our life’s purpose. We want to get it right.
Why Uncertainty Exists
Getting it wrong is okay. God will gently redirect you and order your steps, but He can’t order steps you don’t take.
The root of uncertainty in purpose stems from twofold. One root cause is a lack of relationship with God. Another root cause is Satan. Let’s tackle these one at a time, starting with the lack of relationship.
Lack of Relationship with God.
You were created by God to do a particular thing, and the only person who can ultimately reveal what that thing is, is God. Here is a scripture that sheds light on this. It’s from Ephesians chapter one, verse eleven.
It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
That scripture confirms that God is the source of your purpose, so all of the questions you have about your purpose can and will be found in Him. And all of your uncertainty about your purpose is rooted in your lack of relationship with Him.
The Enemy.
Now, let’s talk about the second root cause of uncertainty in purpose, which is Satan. When I was growing up I would hear people say that the greatest trick satan ever pulled was convincing people that he didn’t exist. I think the next greatest trick he ever pulled was convincing people that all of the bad things that happen to them are God’s fault and that all of the good things that happen to them are blessings.
Satan is crafty at moving around undetected. He knows your fears, he knows your desires and he knows your interests, and he isn’t afraid to use these things to create confusion in your life. Confusion and deception are the name of his game.
Clarity In Your Pursuit of Purpose
Here are some ways to gain clarity about your purpose. You want to first cultivate a relationship with the source of your purpose and next, you need to resist the enemy.
Cultivate a relationship with the source of your purpose.
There is no way around this. The main purpose that God created humans was for us to be in relationship with Him. The more you know God, the better you’re able to hear Him and trust Him. A good place to start is spending time with God consistently. Plan it like you’re going out on a date like I mentioned earlier. Meet HIM wherever you feel comfortable.
When you cultivate a relationship with God you will be able to discern between a good idea and a God idea. All good ideas are not God ideas.
Resist the enemy.
You have to become better at discerning between things of God and things the enemy is bringing to you. All good things are not God things. The enemy wants nothing more than for you to not complete your purpose while you are here on this earth. That’s literally His goal. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy. Think about it. He’s literally tried to kill you every single day for the last almost 2 years of this global pandemic.
Resisting the devil is your responsibility as a Believer, especially in your pursuit of purpose. If you don’t resist him, believe me when I tell you that he will apply pressure. He will put his foot on your neck and not let go if you let him. Resisting satan is a mandate from God. [See Matthew 4:11; James 4:7].
Want More?
If you enjoyed this episode, then you may also enjoy the episode of the show about the fear of success and how it hinders purpose or this episode detailing what to expect when operating in your purpose.
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Disclaimer: If you happen to purchase anything I recommend in this or any of my communications, it’s likely I’ll receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, I only recommend things that I truly believe in and have personally experienced. If you ever have an issue with anything I recommend, please let me know. My goal is to help you thrive in your purpose. — Pavielle