Do you have anxiety on Sunday nights dreading the Monday morning grind? You wake up on Mondays thinking, “I wish I could be doing something else?” Those feelings of being unsettled, what I’ve heard some call the “Sunday Night Scaries”, are nudges from God. He is calling you to find your purpose.
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”
Romans 12:6
He is calling you for something more.
Finding your God given purpose in life doesn’t happen overnight. Your purpose won’t be written in a book somewhere. It is a process that takes time and requires patience.
God waits until your soul is ready and willing to receive His purpose for you. He wants to make sure your mind and your heart are ready to realize its full potential.
Let’s walk through four simple strategies to find your purpose –
1. Be Patient Knowing it is God’s Time Not Yours
Everything has its own time. Through hardships, God strengthens our will and our spirit. It is through hardships that we build character and find out what we are really made of.
I uncovered my true path as I was navigating the early years of motherhood. Amidst the anxiety, stress, and overwhelm, I was determined to find joy. I no longer wanted to be a victim of my emotions.
It was through the deepening of my faith and research in self-development that I was able to create a framework to help other moms with the same struggles. I had found my purpose. God had gifted me with a challenge to navigate and conquer so that I could help other mothers climb the same mountain.
He knew I had to experience hardship first before I was ready to help other mothers with the same challenges. He was making me stronger for those I was called to serve.
I ask that you have the same patience as God strengthens and prepares you for what is ahead. Perhaps you haven’t come upon your unique mountain quite yet. The journey to finding your purpose is not a straight one. It is a crooked path that takes you through winding peaks and valleys.
Have patience knowing you are on God’s time, which has no limits. When you are ready, you will feel his nudge. Trust in His timing.
“And who knows whether you have not come to this kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14
2. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone & Get Uncomfortable
Finding your true purpose takes work.
In order to grow, you must step out of your comfort zone and jump into the deep end. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes, being judged and failing cripple your ability to move forward. Jump in anyway. Otherwise, you will never know what you are truly capable of.
Stop the inner monologue that says you are not good enough. Many times, we get stuck in self-doubt. We think that everyone else is doubting us, when it is really us doubting ourselves. The sooner you turn that voice off, the sooner you will realize you were made for much more than you ever thought you were capable of.
You will fail along the way – that is certain. Accept that truth and do it anyway. Failure is the key to growth, and it is up to you to turn the key.
The longer you sit in the comfort of something you are already good at, the longer it will take you to find your true purpose. Instead, I challenge you to try new and hard things over and over again. With this mindset, your skills and capabilities will grow exponentially and propel you into your God given purpose.
3. Focus on Serving Others Not the Rewards of Success
For years I had the wrong mindset at work. I was solely focused on getting the mission accomplished. My strong work ethic and mission driven focus helped to propel my career path. However, I was often left with an underlying sense of emptiness, wondering if just getting the job done was enough.
That empty feeling was God nudging me to look outward. I had been too focused on my own career progression and success that I forgot why I was there to begin with.
My purpose was to serve others – to play my small part in a larger purpose. In his book, “Life Together,” Deietrick Bonhoeffer captures the essence of why we work in these few words, “The work of the world can be done only where a person forgets himself, where he loses himself in a cause, in reality, the task, the “it.”
The task, the “it”, is what brings us together. We all play a small role in God’s larger purpose for the world. We are here for each other, to help one another. By going to work each day and serving others, we are fulfilling that broader mission. No matter how small a task may seem to you, find comfort knowing it is serving a broader purpose.
“For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
Luke 22:27
From Task-Focus to People-Focus
Through the lens of service, my perspective has changed from task focused to people focused. When I begin my workday, I no longer ask myself, “What task do I need to accomplish today?” Instead, I ask myself, “How can I serve others?” If I focus on people first, accomplishing the task will be a byproduct of that.
The service mindset has not only given me a renewed sense of joy for my work, it has also eliminated the unnecessary pressures I used to put on myself. I used to constantly question myself at work. “Was I doing enough to impress others?” “Was I saying the right things?” Now that I’m focused on serving others, I no longer find the need to second guess myself. It’s no longer about me, it’s about others.
Shifting my focus to service has grounded me in my work. I no longer have the “Sunday Night Scaries.” Instead, I view each day is an opportunity to serve others.
I’m confident that you too can find that same grounded joy if you look outward toward serving others. Serving others is serving God. Follow that path and God will always light your way.
4. Let Go of Control and “Shift with the Sand”
Out of all the lessons I have learned throughout my journey as a mother, the one that really propelled my growth was the “shifting sand” perspective. It is the idea that the circumstances (“sand”) beneath our feet changes so often in life, especially in motherhood, that we have to learn to move with it.
Before having children, I was used to always being in control. If something did not go my way, I was confident there was a way I could fix it. That control mindset worked for me until I became a mother.
As a new mother, it did not take me long to realize that the more I tried to hold onto control, the more I had none. I began to learn that kids and everything that comes along with them are unpredictable. They get sick, they constantly cry for no good reason, the list goes on. The sand keeps shifting.
Have you ever heard of the analogy that if you squeeze something so tight, it pops? That is exactly what happens with motherhood. If you hold onto control too tight, thinking that you can fix everything, you will pop. And boy, did I pop. Trying to control everything led to even more stress, more overwhelm, and more anxiety. It was a vicious cycle.
Send it Up to God
Something had to change. I needed to let go and have faith that God was my armor. White-knuckling through motherhood was no longer a winning strategy. I had to send my troubles “up to God” and let him take control.
I had to shift with the sand.
In your journey to finding your true purpose, not everything will be perfect. You may find out that the dream you were chasing for so long was never for you after all. Let it go. Shift with the sand. Pivot.
You will find your purpose at the end of a winding path, but you just need to pivot to get there.
Have Patience in God’s Plan
The journey to finding your true purpose takes patience, courage, resilience, and the willingness to serve others. Along the way you will trip, fall and get lost. Keep going.
God is shaping your will and your spirit until the right time. He is building you as a pillar of strength so that you can be that pillar for others. When you finally find that sweet spot of your true purpose, that is just the beginning. Hold on tight, because God has made you for great things.
Related articles –
leave a comment