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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “How to Discover Your Life Mission.” People of every age and every generation have wrestled with the question, “What was I made to do?” In this episode, I’ll share four steps you can take to get greater clarity about your unique mission in life.
If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.
SHOW NOTES
“What was I made to do?” That question has haunted people of every age and every walk of life for thousands of years. And while there’s nothing wrong with that question, I actually believe there’s a second question—perhaps a better question—that will help you discover your life mission. That better question is, “How did God design me?”
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Not only did God create us to do good works, but he prepared those good works before we were even born. And here’s the good news: when God created us, He designed us with those good works in mind. The more we understand how we’re designed, the more clues we’ll discover to the mission God created us to fulfill.
Think about it like a puzzle. When you dump a puzzle on a table, what’s the first thing you do? You start turning over all the pieces of the puzzle. Why? Because you want to see the different shapes and colors so you can connect the pieces together.
Your life mission is the same way. The more pieces of the puzzle you turn over, the more you begin to discover the common themes and patterns in how God designed you. You start to see how the pieces connect together to help you fulfill a specific mission in life. So, what kind of puzzle pieces do you need to turn over to help you clarify your life mission? Start with these four puzzle pieces.
1. Experience
Our experience quickly reveals what we’re good at, and what we stink at. In other words, when you reflect on your past experience, you quickly discover where you’ve experienced success, and where you’ve experienced failure. This process helps you narrow the circle of your life mission. So, in what areas have you experienced the most success? Your answer to that question will give clues to how God wired you.
2. Destiny Markers
I learned the concept of destiny markers from my friend Steve Moore. A destiny marker is an event, experience, relationship, or circumstance that reminds you that God has a specific purpose for your life, or it provides clues to what that purpose might be.
Destiny markers come in a variety of forms. For example, a destiny marker might be a formative relationship, a personal milestone, or a providential occurrence. Destiny markers reveal how God has been at work in your past. They reveal the seeds of destiny God has been sowing throughout your lifetime.
3. Giftedness
In Exodus chapter 35 and 36, Moses mobilized a team of people to help construct the sanctuary. And in Exodus 35:31-35, Moses said, “The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.”
What is Moses doing in this passage? He’s describing in detail the giftedness of Bezalel and Oholiab. In the same way God gifted these two men, God has also given each one of us gifts, abilities, and skills. When you understand your gifting, you’ll be satisfied, God will be glorified, others will be edified, and your gifting will be verified by others.
4. Passions
In the same passage from Exodus where God gave Moses instructions for the construction of the sanctuary, we read these words in Exodus 36:2: “And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.”
That phrase, “whose heart stirred him up” is all about passion. Passions are like those deep interests or issues that drive you. In fact, when it comes to passion, it’s been said that a person will work 8 hours a day for a paycheck, 12 hours a day for a good boss, but 24 hours a day for a cause. Your passion is your cause.
So, let me ask you, what needs move you to action? What problems do you feel compelled to solve? What activities really engage your heart? Is there a group of people you feel called to serve? These kinds of question will help you pinpoint your greatest passions. Another way to discover your passions is to listen to yourself speak. When do you hear the most energy in your voice? Sometimes you don’t see your passion as much as you hear your passion.
These four puzzle pieces—experience, destiny markers, giftedness, and passions—will give you clues to your life mission. Once you turn these puzzle pieces over, start looking for the common themes that emerge. Those common themes will give you clues to the mission God has called you to fulfill.
LIFE MISSION RESOURCES
If you’d like to dive deeper to discover your life mission, I’ve developed several helpful resources to help you gain greater clarity.
- Do Good Works Book – This practical book is designed to help you turn over ten pieces of the life purpose puzzle, and then craft those pieces into a compelling life mission statement. You can purchase Do Good Works HERE.
- Do Good Works Six-Session Study Guide – This free, downloadable resources is a practical way to discuss the principles of Do Good Works with a small group of friends. You can download the study guide at www.dogoodworksbook.com.
- Do Good Works Life Purpose Coaching – This practical and personalized coaching process will walk you step-by-step through the Do Good Works framework and help you create a personal life mission statement. Learn more HERE.
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