Your Big-Picture Direction

Have you ever questioned what your life purpose is? What is it that God put you here for and what does He want to accomplish through you? Or are you simply meandering through your life with little or no vision? As Christians we are told in God’s Word that He has a plan and purpose for each one of His children, yet have you taken the time to discover what that plan and purpose could be?

We also know that God has gifted us each individually and uniquely with specific talents and abilities to use for His kingdom purposes. Have you discovered what they are? Now please don’t say that you don’t have any gifts, talents, or abilities. By stating something as insidious as this you are claiming that God made you inadequate and deficient, and we know that this is NOT true. You may just need to do some soul searching to reflect on your life and the type of person God created you to be. And then pray and diligently seek God’s direction for your life. Something I did that was very helpful to me was I developed a life mission statement. This enabled me to discern what God wanted to accomplish through me in my lifetime. Furthermore, it helped me realize that God did not waste a tear, an experience, or a valuable lesson. He used all of these life experiences, both joyful and sorrowful, to mold me into the person I am today. He has equipped me to reach out to others in a way that brings Him glory. Some questions you can ask yourself in helping you to determine what your life mission may be are:

1. If you were to die tomorrow, what do you want people to remember?
2. What do you feel passionately about? What do you never grow tired of talking about?
3. When you go to a bookstore/library what section do you drift toward?
4. What do people compliment you about? What activities do you excel in?
5. If you could do only one activity all day long for the rest of your life what would it be?
6. Has God laid a special burden or concern for a group or ministry on your heart?

Summarize these thoughts into a few sentences and you are on your way to defining your life mission. Seek God’s guidance and direction in fine tuning it. Then write it down somewhere where you can review it often. When you are more in tune with who you are and how God has gifted you, you will become more aware of opportunities that surround you to join Him in accomplishing your life mission.

Zig Ziglar, a renowned motivational speaker and Christian once asked a poignant question, “Are you a wandering generality or a meaningful specific?” A wandering generality is a person who lacks direction. Often this person is a very busy person indeed. She is the soccer mom, her children’s chauffeur, and she is on several committees. She is running here and there, trying not only to take care of her family, but busy trying to please her friends, her church family, and various other organizations that she is involved in. While these are all wonderful things in and of themselves, they are not wonderful if she is leaving God out of the “big picture” only to win the approval of everyone else. In no time at all she will find herself stressed out and ineffective. Unfortunately by saying “Yes” to everything and everyone else, she often says “No” to God. This woman will never make a lasting mark on her world until she discovers God’s mission for her.

The meaningful specific, on the other hand, is a woman who doesn’t seek to do for God, but who is available to Him so that He can do His work through her. This woman takes the time necessary to develop an intimate relationship with her Maker. She knows Him and seeks after Him with all of her heart. Although she too may be busy, she is not aimlessly living her life. She has a passion, a purpose, a mission. And God is at the center of it. She realizes that God loves her and has equipped her for great things. But she is also willing to surrender her dreams knowing that God’s plan for her life is her ultimate goal. She trusts that God will reveal and equip her to accomplish His kingdom purposes. Her primary joy in life is developing her relationship with Him, fully confident that He will speak and guide her in her day to day life. Therefore, she doesn’t fret or strive. She simply abides.

Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? I truly believe that the greatest pleasure we can give the Lord is our full and undivided love and affection. We are a people who always believe we must be doing something for Him. Why is it so hard for us to just sit quietly at the feet of our Lord and wait for Him? When we step into His plan, we will not grow weary or tired. He will miraculously provide us with the energy and the means to fulfill His purpose.

As we take the time to develop and strengthen our walk with Christ, God will give us the big picture direction for our lives. He doesn’t desire to keep secrets from us, but He does insist on our participation. He won’t do it all for us. Before long He will whisper to the deep places in our souls what we were uniquely created to do. He will lay on our hearts specific burdens for a group of people, a country, or a ministry. We simply cannot bypass the relationship. It takes lots of reflection, prayer, and even feedback from others. Ask God outright for the “big-picture” direction for your future, and ask Him to guide you daily in your choices. Refuse to say “yes” to others’ demands until you have spent time listening to God. He knows you better than you know yourself and if you delight in Him, He will surely give you the desires of your heart. And you will find your Big-Picture direction!

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:3-7

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13