Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
You are not an accident. God designed you with a purpose and gave your life significance (Eccl. 3:11). God also created you to live in the freedom, joy, and holiness of His design. He wants us to enjoy the fullness of his design. Yet, so often we struggle in life.
All of us have been wounded. We are damaged goods in one sense. You can’t live in this fallen world and not be affected by it. However, 
“Our Father is famous for His kindness to heal even the thankless and cruel.” (Luke 6:35)
Our Father is not only a healer and deliverer; He is also a restorer (Ps. 23:2). He wants to restore us to a life of purpose and destiny. Deep in our hearts, we all long to know our purpose and destiny. We want our lives to count. This is a good desire, indeed a God desire. God has written this desire in the hearts of all men. Even Jesus had this desire as a man on earth (Luke 2:49 & John18:37).
So, how do we discover our purpose? How do we live the life of God’s design? I have been asked that question countless times. I find myself asking it at different moments in my life.
There are no formulas or rules for discovering your purpose, but here are some ways God will unfold the many different purposes you have over the course of your life.
Your purpose will call to you. It will beckon you. For the Apostle Paul, it punched him in the face and left him blind for three days (Acts 9:1-19). Ours may not be as radical or earthshaking, but it will come looking for you in some particular way.
Every purpose from God takes God to make it happen. God will do His part. Let go of your expectations of how God will reveal your purpose and even what you think your purpose is. Just have expectancy and trust that He will do it.
Pay attention to what gives life to your heart and outlook on life. Your purpose runs deep within you. It is a part of the very fabric of your existence. It is a theme of your life. It is expressed in your passions, your desires, your dreams, gifts, talents, and your vision for the future. Whenever you step into your purpose, it gives life back to you and doesn’t drain you as much as it builds you. Desire realized is a tree of life (Prov. 13:12). Purpose and grace always flow together.
Your purpose will motivate you and give you a sense of hope and expectancy about the future. When I start feeling indifferent, undisciplined and cynical about my life, I know I have lost touch with my purpose. Purpose and hope always work together (Eph. 1:18).
Pay attention to the people whom God has placed in your life. There are some who believe in you and who you are. They have your best interest in mind. They don’t try to manipulate you for their own agendas. They are standing by you to help and encourage you to step into your purpose. These are the kinds of people who should have a voice in your life.
Sometimes they may say things that are hard to hear, but don’t chafe against it. Trust that “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6). I would have never been able to fulfill my purpose of being a pastor apart from some very faithful people.
Pay attention to the prophetic words over your life. “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” (Prov. 29:18) New Testament prophetic ministry is to comfort, build up and encourage (1 Cor. 14:3). Apart from the prophetic we will lose heart in our pursuit of purpose.
Many Blessings, BW