International coaching expert, Dr Bill Price believes anyone can learn to live a life of purpose, especially if they find their identity in God. He asks a range of helpful questions to assist you to find the answers you need to ensure worthwhile living.
When you look at your life what would you say is your purpose? Many grapple with this question of “How to live a life of purpose?” We hear preachers talk about it all the time and books are written on the subject ad infinitum. As believers, we need to wrap our arms around our God-given purpose. This means having a clear understanding of our identity so we can rise up to a higher level of living than we have previously experienced.
There are few people who know what their life purpose is all about, especially at a young age. The discovery of it is based on our life experiences and how we learn to respond to the crises of life. And slowly but surely our identity unfolds before our eyes and we begin to see who we really are.
A life of purpose is living a life of identity
If you look at the life of Christ, you will see that He was given the name ‘Yeshua’, which means the ‘One who saves’, the rescuer or deliverer. Isaiah 61:1 heralded His birth and He echoed this scripture at the start of His earthly ministry. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…”
Questions about living a life of purpose
Just like Jesus, we need to know who we are to live a life of purpose. What are the signposts in your life that reveal your identity? What are the pathways you’ve walked and the golden thread that brings everything together? What are the lessons you have learned in life? And, what five things can you say you are, without a shadow of a doubt? For example:
- I am resourceful.
- I’m helpful.
- I’m kind and considerate.
- I’m people-focused, and
- Future-orientated.
What lessons have you learned through the mistakes you’ve made? What are the issues that really matter to you? How would you spend your money if you were given a blank check? For me, it would be on education. It would be on young people, and it would be on empowering parents. What would you spend significant amounts of money on?
When you start to understand the answers to these questions and compile this information, you will see your purpose is an unfolding process. It’s not a moment in life. It’s not a full stop somewhere at the end of a sentence. It’s a chapter unfolding within a book. It’s a philosophy that encompasses a broader vision that crystallises and becomes identity.
Jesus used identity throughout His entire life as His purpose. In the Gospel of John, He makes these seven I AM statements:
- I am the Bread of Life (6:35)
- I am the Light of the World (8:12)
- I am the Door (10:9)
- I am the Good Shepherd (10:11,14)
- I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
- I am the Way and the Truth and the Life (14:6)
- I am the Vine (John 15:1,5)
In the book of Acts, we read about the sons of Sceva who thought they had discovered how to drive out demons using a particular formula. They commanded a demon to come out in “Jesus name, who Paul preaches”.
“Jesus, I know, Paul, I’ve heard about, but who are you?” the demon responded, quickly overpowering them. The seven sons fled because they did not know who they were.
If we don’t know who we are, we don’t know our purpose. We have no sense of hope, no sense of commitment, meaning, relationship and interconnectedness to the world we live in.
Our identity is the hope that connects us to our purpose
The importance of purpose is knowing who you are and who God is in your life. As you examine your life, you will begin to discover what you are called to do and a statement of purpose will start to emerge. For example, your life purpose could be:
- To help as many people as I can in my lifetime, in a way that significantly improves their lives.
- To empower and inspire others, to live their highest vision in the context of love and joy.
- To inspire my audience with wisdom that will make their world work, and meaningful.
These are just some of the responses I have received in many years of executive coaching. Whatever your mission statement is, whatever your purpose statement is, develop it. Because we are here not just to make a living, but to make a difference!
What are you doing with your life? What is your life’s work all about? What legacy will you leave behind when your time is over? These are important questions but in reality, the answer is in your identity. It’s not about what you do, and what you’re going to do. It’s about who you are, and who you are becoming.
Some people have a life-defining scripture. Mine is Acts 13:36. “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.” My purpose in life is to serve generations. My purpose is to guide people to their mountaintop experiences and then to go back down the mountain and prepare the next person to reach the heights they have before them.
Purpose is about letting your inner coach, the voice of God come to the fore in your life. Listening to those affirming whispers that confirm your identity and guide you to your destiny. This is what empowers you for success. Purpose is about permission giving. It is about a life well lived, focused to embark, not lightly, but fully.
Life is generous to those who pursue their destiny. A life of purpose is all about getting busy with living. Because fear can hold you as a prisoner but hope can set you free. It’s about seeing you and it’s about seeing things as you want them to be. It’s about slaying your dragons. Make the choice to become stronger. Purpose is about becoming more and slaying those giants. It’s about being natural in supernatural ways!
For Christians, Living a life of purpose is about becoming quiet, contemplative, silent, and learning to pray in between words, in between sentences, in between thoughts. Purpose is about making up your mind. It’s about managing. It’s about living. It’s about being. It’s about resting in the goodness and the grace of God who smiles upon us every single day. That’s a life of purpose.
If you have questions about living a life of purpose, or would like to receive life coaching from Dr Bill Price, email him at bill.price@me.com Also read his recent post: How you can prepare for the season ahead
Dr Bill Price
Dr Bill Price is an international speaker, author and executive coach. Dr Price is based in South Africa where he is well known as a leading Neuroscience practitioner and strategic sage who guides individuals, businesspeople and corporate leaders to achieve their full potential. He also helps empowers people in their personal lives around the themes, of leadership, getting the most out of life and relationships.
