A Practical Guide for Developing Christians

YOUR LIFES PURPOSE

DISCOVERING

A GUIDE FOR WRITING YOUR PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT AND CREATING SHORT TERM GOALS FOR LIVING OUT THE LIFE GOD AND YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED
By

CLARE D E G R A A F, author of The 10 Second Rule

A LIFE DEVOTED TO THINGS IS A DEAD LIFE, A STUMP;

A GOD-SHAPED LIFE IS A FLOURISHING TREE.
PROVERBS 11:28, The Message

YOUR HIGHEST PURPOSE

God created you for a purpose. Of course, youve heard that before, but it doesnt always feel like it, does it? Perhaps life right now feels like an endless stretch of responsibilities: meetings, emails or Facebook posts to be read and answered, kids events to attend or drive them to, and church week-after-week. Maybe your life feels like the movie Ground Hogs Day where Bill Murrays character wakes up to the same day, every day, and youre bored! So youve thought to yourself, if God has a purpose for my life, its not all that evident to me. Its in Christ that we find out who we are and what were living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for our glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Ephesians 1:1, MSG) The meaning of this verse couldnt be clearer. Your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God ordained before you were born. That purpose is to be his agent on earth to do the kinds of things he would do if he were here doing them himself. Youre his surrogate to your family, at work, when youre driving the kids around, playing golf, or hanging out with your friends. You and I arent just called to imitate Jesus character, but to do what Jesus did: to be advocates for the poor, do good for those who dont like us, love our spouses and families more than we love ourselves,

care for the lonely in short be a servant to everyone. All the while were to love God more than anything else and worship him and him only. Thats the purpose for your life. Believe it or not, when you lose yourself in God and for God you will experience the pleasure and love of God in a way you never have before. Thats the abundant life God wants for you. The purpose of this guide is to help you discover and fulfill your unique role in his plan. He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. (Proverbs 21:21)

MY JOURNEY
I have been a Christian all my life. Christian schools, church twice on Sunday, serving on committees. I believed Jesus was the Son of God, the Bible was absolutely true the works. Then at age 31, after experiencing a crisis of faith, I repented of my religious Christianity and chose instead to become a follower of Jesus. That became the purpose of my life. It is a role that supersedes that of a husband, father, employer, church-goer, but it changed and improved my performance and enjoyment in each of these other roles. I started devouring the Bible, got two spiritual mentors, and jumped feet first into lay ministry, primarily introducing businessmen like myself to Jesus. God blessed all of it. So much so that in 1984,

NOTE: These materials may not be copied, transmitted electronically, edited, published, or sold without the written permission of the author. Additional copies can be purchased and downloaded at www.claredegraaf.com
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

DISCOVERING YOUR LIFES PURPOSE