The following is a report on the practical applications of Susie Larson’s new book, Your Beautiful Purpose: Discovering and Enjoying What God Can Do Through You, (Bethany House, 2013).
Whitney Hopler-(Crosswalk.com) You’re not here by accident; God created you on purpose. God had your entire life on Earth in mind before you were ever born, and He designed you specifically for the good work He intends you to do.
Every day you’re alive is a gift from God that’s full of opportunities to pursue that work. So don’t let another day go by without discovering and enjoying your God-given purpose. Here’s how you can do so:
Believe you’re called. Choose to believe God’s promise that He has planned good work for you to do during your life on Earth, and that He wants to use you to expand His kingdom. Dare to believe that God is working in you today to get you where you need to go tomorrow. Ask God to help you overcome common obstacles to taking your calling seriously: fear, doubt, insecurity, and inferiority. Pray for God to awaken a fresh sense of purpose within you, as well as a sense of passion to pursue the work God wants you to do.
Learn to love your story. Rather than comparing yourself to other people and being jealous of the work they’re doing for God, embrace your own unique story of faith and work in God’s kingdom. Make a habit of frequently thanking God for the blessings He is constantly giving you, and praise Him often for His great love. The more you express your gratitude to God, the more you’ll notice and appreciate the story of how God is at work uniquely in your life.
Wait on God. While you can choose to rush ahead of God’s timing and try to make things happen on your own, doing so cuts you off from God’s best for you. It’s always worthwhile to wait for the right time (from God’s perspective) to move forward with work, because that way your work will have eternal value, and you’ll become more like Jesus in the process. Decide that your work won’t be just about your own ambitions and goals, but about something greater: God’s kingdom. If you’re waiting for God to open doors for your work, spend lots of time with Him in prayer, listening to what He has to say to you, asking for the patience you need during this season. Keep in mind that when God makes you wait, He does so in order to make you ready for future assignments, and the preparation time is valuable.
Face your fears. Taking action to pursue God’s purposes for your life will cause your fears to surface. Whenever that happens, shift your focus away from your fears and toward God, who can help you overcome them. Ask God to give you a vision for what He wants to do and through you, and trust God as He leads you out of your comfort zone. Pray against evil spiritual forces that want you to be burdened by fear, and pray for God to give you greater faith every day to overcome fear.
Embrace your training grounds. God wants to use the trials He allows you to experience to train you to develop a stronger faith. When you go through betrayal or other relational difficulties, you can learn to entrust your soul to God. When you go through financial hardships, you can learn to trust God for every need you have. When people who should value you overlook you instead, you can learn that God sees you and has a great plan for your life. When you experience disillusionment with ministry, an organization, or church, you can learn that no matter how others behave, you can walk faithfully with God. When you go through pain caused by baggage from your past, you can learn to overcome your past and look forward to what lies ahead for you. When someone else gets a blessing you want, you can learn to appreciate the distinctive ways that God is working in your own life. Refuse to place your hope in anyone or anything that’s lesser than God Himself, such as relationships with other people, financial provision, a particular church, or a particular home. Base your hope in God alone, because only He is truly reliable.
