What is Your Purpose?

The two most important days in your life are the day you were born
 and the day you find out why. – Attributed to Mark Twain

I love this quote. It boils everything in our human existence down to one simple sentence. It’s certainly consistent with biblical values. We are given life by our Creator, upon which all else depends. It precedes all the choices we make – it is the root of who we are.
 
Our purpose on this earth is the second implied question. As humans, we seek meaning and try to understand the purpose for our lives, and fulfilling this need is central not only to who we are in relation to the rest of humanity, but who we are in the face of the God who made us as well. However, as much as I like this quote, I would add a third important day. The day you discover who controls your life.
 
Look at the first part of the quote. Clearly, we were not in control of our birth; most would suggest that if anyone was in control, it was our parents. However, our parents did not in some amazing way confer life upon us – they simply provided the building blocks for life. Something or someone else was in control of creating our life and allowing us to be born. If being born was truly one of the two most important days of your life, then it follows that you would want to know who made this day happen and was in control of it.
 
The second part of the quote is similar. Why would someone want to know the reason they were created unless they could act on it? Let’s say that you discover you were created to play Wordle for the rest of your life, although I truly wouldn’t wish this on anyone. Once you “discover” that Wordle is your life’s purpose, what happens? You find out everything you can about the game, you devote years studying the logic behind possible moves, and you spend day and night playing the game.
 
Did you notice which word appears most often in that last sentence? You. It suggests that once your purpose is discovered, it’s on you to make the most of it. You need to work and realize your potential and fulfill your life’s mission. You need to work on becoming the world’s best Wordle player. It’s up to you. You are in control.
 
I would suggest that knowing who controls your life answers both implied questions in the quote. Once you know who controls your life, you can determine who put you together as a person and who determines your life purpose. If nobody/nothing is in control of your life, then you were a collection of cells that, in some highly improbable manner, formed a human and somehow “became living”. It then follows that your life purpose can be defined by you. You are in control.

On the other hand, if someone made you and has a purpose for your life, it becomes a very different story. There is the crux of the issue.
 
As a Christian, I believe I was created by God and my purpose on this earth is to glorify Him. But notice that answering this question does not say how I should best glorify God. That is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and our inclinations, genetic traits, talents, etc. that were hard coded at our creation.
 
Those of us at North Dakota Family Alliance do policy work supporting and advancing biblical principles. That is our purpose. I would hazard a guess that doing policy work is not your purpose in life. We glorify God by doing this work, but you may glorify God by homeschooling your children, working at your office, or perhaps harvesting your crops. However, since our purpose is policy work, we do it with all the tools and resources we can to achieve what He wills for our lives. We take it seriously and know you depend on us to defend your biblical values. Thank you for your faithful support in fulfilling this purpose.
 
Finding out who created you and what your purpose is can become a lifelong journey for some. I don’t know how you arrived at the point of knowing God controls your life, but it is the answer to almost every question you may have. That doesn’t mean life will be easy or always make sense, but you thankfully have a path to follow, which is more than many people.
 
Today, rejoice that you know your purpose. The future of your life may not be apparent all the time, but the path He has chosen is what you need to walk. When you are living in God’s will, nothing can match that feeling. Enjoy the journey; He’s got you.