Every generation has a buzz word, a popular word that gets our attention. A few years ago the buzz word was “purpose.” If the word purpose was in the title of a book, it was sure to be a best-seller! Rick Warren certainly proved the point with the book The Purpose Driven Life.

We all want to have meaning and purpose in our lives. We want a reason to wake up in the morning, a reason to work hard, a reason to live. God created us this way on purpose! We are modeled after our Creator. When we do not understand our purpose we move through life like a person who is lost, aimlessly wandering from place to place, feeling confused and defeated.

God gives us clear direction in scripture about our purpose. He made a plan for our lives before we were even born. “For we are His creation – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10, HCSB). “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began” (Psalm 139:16, HCSB). This gives me great comfort and answers the next big question: why am I here? I do not have to make the plan. I just have to find it and live it. In general, God even tells us the plan. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, HCSB).

Loving God involves loving others as we love ourselves. The blessings God gives are not just for our own benefit, but to be used to help people. As God told Abraham, He blessed him so that he would bless others. “I will bless you … and you will be a blessing … and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:2-3, HCSB). What a different world we would be living in if everyone used what God had given them for the benefit of others.

Now that we generally know the purpose God has for us, how do we find God’s specific plan for our lives? First we must learn to obey God. If we want to find God’s will we have to be willing to obey what we already know He wants us to do. Next, we look for what God has placed inside us. God has given every person unique talents, personality, experiences and passions. Having three grown children, I see this so clearly. Even though they all grew up in the same family, with the same parents, and in the same church, they are so different. My oldest son is a risk-taker. He works for the State Department and prefers going to what I call the “messy places” in our world. My daughter is a born teacher. She has been teaching since she was old enough to talk. The only thing that changes is who and what she is teaching. My youngest son is a whiz at math and finances. He lived on an allowance growing up and has saved every dollar he made when he was younger. God will use each one in a unique way to fulfill His plan for their lives.

While we are discovering what is inside we also have to learn some skills and gain experience. Ministry experience is just as valuable as training. We need both. At seminary, we tell students they will learn more if they get involved in ministry while they are taking classes. As we practice leading and serving while we are learning, we find out what we are good at and build effectiveness.

Finally, as my husband often says, follow your passions and look for the open door. God gave us a heart for something and we will be most effective when we are doing something we value. God has a way of opening and closing doors to help us find our way. Look at Jonah. God would not let him get away from his destiny to preach in Ninevah. Paul often struggled to know where to go on his missionary journeys, but God opened and closed doors to get Paul where he needed to be (Acts 16:6-10). Life has meaning as we find God’s purpose for our lives. We find real joy when we are living the life God has planned for us to live and blessing the world in our own unique way.