Finding Purpose

I hang out with lots of people who are in their final years of High School (maybe you’re one of them!) and there’s a pretty common issue that people stress over, or have others in their lives who are stressing over it. It’s “what on earth am I gonna do when I leave school?”. Some have high aspirations for where they want to place themselves, others have parents or teachers pushing them in certain directions, and some are just totally clueless and are already thinking about getting themselves some work-for-the-dole forms.

Some of you are thinking it’d be cool to have a nice little questionnaire on this page where you tick all the cute little boxes based on what you like doing, and it tells you what you should do (eg. Graffiti Removal Engineer = 93% probability). But no, I can’t tell you that, and I’m not gonna try to. I just hope to shift your focus just a little.

What about if instead of asking “what do I want to do with my life?”, you thought of it this way: “What has God created me for?”.

Freaked out? If so, just take a few breaths and read the last sentence again. What has God created YOU for? ‘Cos the fact is that God has actually made you for a specific purpose that doesn’t quite fit anyone else. And I reckon He’s waiting for you to step up to it.

Your particular personality, style, and set of gifts and abilities are there by design so that you can live serving Him and assisting the body of believers around the world. I don’t think He intended you to go off using those things to make yourself fatter and richer. It’s not about what you want to do, it’s about Him.

But no, you don’t have to wack on a nun's outfit go live in a convent. Living your purpose involves making a difference where you are right now, paying attention to the way God’s made you, and listening for that voice of encouragement and guidance that you hear when you really know Him. And His plan is actually for your benefit! Check out this sentence from the Bible...

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

I’ve tried the other way… seeking after my own goals and dreams independent of God seems pretty tasty, but it doesn’t fill the stomach. Like most prime-time TV ads, it promises so much, but delivers so little. I usually end up pretty tired and unfulfilled. Even serving God energetically gets that way too, when you’re not doing what you were created for. But when you’re totally abandoned (ie. willing to give up everything else) for God and look for ways to serve Him and other people using those gifts, life gets exciting and fulfilling.

If you are living for God's purposes, thinking about life's choices such as what job you're gonna do and what Uni course you're gonna get into isn't as daunting anymore! There is a greater purpose for your life.

If you want to know what it’s like to actually live out what you were made for, why don’t you whisper these words to Jesus right now…

“Lord Jesus. I just heard that you’ve made me special and have a plan for what I’m to do with my life. It’s a little scary though ‘cos I often think up cool things I could do with my life. But if your plan doesn’t involve those things I want to trust that you have something better. Please show me what you have created me for and how I can fulfil that. Help me to love you and love others more and more every day. Amen.”

This week, look for aspects of your personality and abilities that God might want you to use to reach out to people and point them to Him. Ask Him about it. And may you find a life more rewarding than trying to be the next Australian Idol. Forget the ‘fro, time to grow.

By Simon East
me (at) simoneast (dot) net

If you prayed that prayer, wanna know more, or wanna get connected with a group of other teens your age, let us know.

We'd also love to hear your thoughts or questions about this topic. They might even make it onto this page.