Did you know that up to 89% of 16 to 29 year olds believe their lives lack meaning? Are you surprised? In the next few blog posts we are excited to explore the different facets of purpose. Stay tuned!
Purpose is described as the motive behind the creation of something. In Jeremiah 1:5 we are enlightened on the understanding that before we were born, we had been appointed to fulfil a purpose. Hence, from a biblical perspective, there is a meaning for our lives! From a psychological perspective, through Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we discover that at some point food, shelter, clothes, assets and relationships no longer drive us. At this point we are driven by intangible things. This is described by Abraham Maslow as self-actualization- the desire to reach your full potential. In other words, at some point in our lives, only the fulfilment of purpose can motivate us.
As we go through lives journey, we are to discover our purpose for the various seasons we go through. Joshua Komolafe explained that “when you know who you are, you know what fits and your purpose becomes easier to identify.”
He illustrated this using the analogy of jumper sizes. For instance, if you know you are a size 20, then you know that a size 8 would be too small for you. Therefore, when you know your purpose, you know which activities support you in achieving that purpose, and which activities lead you astray from your purpose. There is a jumper that fits you perfectly and that jumper is your purpose.
How then do we discover this purpose? We are to search it out in the secret place as Proverbs 25:2 admonishes us to do. Imagine walking into a dark room and switching on the light. You can now see the things in the room. These things were in the room prior to switching on the light. However, light in the room has allowed us to see these things. In the same way, our purpose is innate, but we must seek to be enlightened on what it is.
