What’s the Why?
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What moves you? What drives you to succeed? Ask yourself this question - if you weren’t going to be paid for your job, would you volunteer to do it? Even if your job isn’t the most enjoyable activity in the world, is there something else you do (or could do) that fills you up inside and makes it seem like time stands still? While working hard at our jobs is admirable and worthy of our efforts, when our daily work doesn’t line up with who we are, we set our Lives up to travel along an unfulfilling path.
The fulfillment we seek comes from working in sync with The Call on our Lives. I used to think that fulfilling my purpose would be an easy thing, once I followed my heart, but the truth is that it requires a lot of deep diving on the inward side - the part of myself I was never taught to navigate. Could I even trust my own heart, to be directed by it? I needed to consult The One who created me. In the same way that you consult the manual of a car to discover its functions, I had to consult God’s manual for instruction on how I was to function in the world. Far too often we find ourselves lost, after giving much time and effort to a pursuit that has left us feeling empty and disconnected. I’m barely scratching the surface of who I’m called to be, but I’m so charged up by the endless possibilities of living my Life as who and what God intended me to be that I’m committed to keep digging deeper. My Life literally depends on it. And more than that, the Lives of the people my purpose will help depend on it too.
Success can’t only be defined by what we accumulate in material wealth and possessions. We can leave a substantial financial legacy for our children but it is of no use of the wisdom needed to manage those finances is not first cultivated within us and taught to them. While in school, we learn to retain information to pass our exams. We are taught to measure ourselves against the performance of the best in the class. If we aren’t on top, we’re not good enough. We’re mainly taught how to get top marks so we can work for top dollar. We’re told, “You have to do well so you can get a good job. Then you will make lots of money and have a good Life.” We aren’t taught how to study our will, our minds and our spirits. Character building isn’t a major part of the school curriculum. Instead of mastering ourselves, we learn to push ourselves to achieve, grind and hustle hard to make it to the top.
Many of us work too many hours for too many years only to find we haven’t really done any fulfilling work. While it’s good to be diligent, carry out the work and even excel in we are entrusted with and paid to do, we have to be careful of only being successful “on paper”. Feeling fulfilled isn’t dependent on reaching goals, it’s dependent on reaching the right goals. Don’t get caught up with becoming the CEO of a Fortune 500 company if God is calling you to be a Tailor. This doesn’t mean you should limit yourself. Rather, it means you should be led with faith in the limitless ability of your Creator working through you. God gave you the gifts you have, with a plan for how you should use them, and He will elevate you as you tap into Him for wisdom on how to use your gifts. Many of us want a big title but aren’t willing or even aware of the need to do the inner work that will get us to where we want to be. Louis Vuitton is currently an internationally recognized luxury brand that started out with one man making airtight trunks that could be easily stacked for travel. He used his gift to provide a service people needed, not knowing his brand would become what it is today. Focus on the work. You have no idea what your gift can become when you place it in God’s Hands.
I remember feeling frustrated while working a pretty “good job”, and leaving it, taking a $10,000 pay cut, and moving on to a new job I felt at peace with. It took a lot of frustration to get me to the point of deciding to change - frustration I could have avoided if I was more focused on finding a job that was a good match for me in the first place, instead of one that paid good money (by the way, it’s possible to have both). The wonderful thing about frustration is that it acts as your mind’s alarm system, telling you it’s time for change. My peace of mind mattered more than losing money, so although it was a hard decision to make when I looked at my finances, it was worth it. That job changed the direction of my career and I started to really enjoy working in a position that was in line with my natural abilities. I started to perform better at work, and eventually I earned more than the salary I gave up to make the change. Know that if you tap into God, He will tell you when to move, and where. His directions will lead you exactly to where you need to go.
So how do you align your vision for your Life with who you are? How do you even know who you really are? Well, if you recognize Whose you are, you’ll know Who to ask. God created each of us with a specific intent and a specific purpose. God tells us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” It’s already planned; we just need to follow the instructions. If you ask, God will tell you what to do. He will also tell you how, when, where and why.
Our focus needs to be directed more on who we are becoming than what we are amassing in worldly riches. Money and possessions do nothing for character. Your attitude towards money doesn’t automatically change for the better when you have access to more. Being faithful in small things opens doors for what is bigger and better to come our way. I believe we yearn for bigger and better because it’s a part of God’s plan. He loves to elevate us, but we have to put in some work. Let’s focus more on the position of our hearts than the potential to pad our pockets. The Bible tells us to seek God’s kingdom first and the other things will come after. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with making money and becoming rich. God wants to bless our finances, and if we obediently submit as He leads, He blesses us in a way that doesn’t add stress to our Lives. The problem lies in focusing more on the job God blessed us with than on Him, who gave us the ability to work. God can’t be left out of your work. He made you so you could do it. We have to make it our job to make God a priority. Spending time with Him can’t be something we squeeze in if we have the time. Daily meetings with God are the foundation for success in all we do, and He is always available to accept your meeting request.
I don’t want to just leave you with the words I said previously. I would like you to do a little exercise - not for me; but for yourself.
Ask yourself these questions and write the answers down.
What is my dream job/lifestyle?
Why do I want this?
What are the limitations of my current circumstances, if any, and are those limitations out of my control?
I hope this will help you to think a little more about how you look at Life. I’m on a path to discovering and fulfilling God’s purpose for me and asking questions like these have helped me.
I’m praying you faithfully complete every task God meant for you to do, and that you submit to His leadership in every aspect of your Life. God is patient. His intentions are always good. His plan for you is perfect, and for His glory.