I recently had a conversation with a young man who was sharing his journey through a very dark season. His story is not very different from many people in our world. He was lost, confused and empty. Without direction, he turned to illegal substances and ended up at death’s door a couple of times. He is now not only free from this place of lostness, he is thriving!   Thankfully, this young man had not gotten to the point of a crippling addiction, but he was nonetheless directionless. His turning point came from a conversation with a counselor who was discussing his substance issues with him. The counselor’s words were direct and powerful: “you don’t have an addiction problem, you have a purpose problem”. What this young man needed more than anything was purpose. He needed to know why he was here, what he was supposed to do; he needed a reason to get up every morning! For this young man, these words were life-giving and helped him turn everything around! 

This problem of having no purpose is a real issue for people all over the planet. So many just wander through life without true direction without a sense of purpose or meaning, but this was never God’s plan. In fact, since the beginning of time God had a purpose for each of us. We were created for a purpose, by a God who intentionally gave us life. But the truth is, many of us have no idea what our purpose is. Sure, we may have a job, be “living” our lives, but is living aimlessly really a life worth living? I, for one, am not satisfied with that type of life. I want more. Maybe this is where you are today. God has much to say about our purpose, but a great place to start is with the truth that God’s purposes always prevail! 

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. Isaiah 46:10-11 

I don’t know about you, but when I read this, I feel an incredible amount of peace because when I feel purposeless, I can turn to a God who has a plan and be assured that not only will His plans come to fruition, but He chooses to use men and women (like me and you) to “fulfill” His purpose!

So, this is where you must start when you are searching for your purpose–with God! He will not only “fulfill [His] purpose, but He is the only one who can truly fulfill you! If you have found that you feel empty, lost, dissatisfied and longing for more, maybe you have a “purpose problem”. So, the answer is to seek the God who has the solution to all the problems you will ever have!

For a few more verses on God’s purposes read Jeremiah 32:19, Job 42: 2, Proverbs 16:4, 20:5, Psalms 33:11