10 years ago, I was a senior in high school preparing to head off to University of the Cumberlands. If you would have asked me back then what my purpose in life was, I would have told you to be a teacher, a wife, and a mother. I would have told you that my plan for my life was to meet my husband in college, get married just after graduation, get a job as a teacher, and start a family. I truly felt like that was my purpose. But here I am 10 years later: single, no kids, and not a teacher. So, there’s that. God is good about humbling us, am I right?
At that age, I had attached my worth and identity to the titles that I desired. I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be a wife. I wanted to be a mother. Since these were things that I desired, I felt like they were my purpose. It wasn’t until I was in college and found myself changing my major from Education to Human Services that I realized sometimes what we want and what God has planned for us don’t always align. And guess what? That’s okay. You slowly learn that what God has store in for you will always be better than what you had planned for yourself.
In the first week of our current sermon series, “I’m In,” Pastor Trevor reminded us that “Jesus didn’t give His followers a plan. He gave them a purpose.” We see that purpose in Matthew 28:19:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
The beauty in that purpose is that it looks different for all of us. I have seen that purpose lived out through a friend in the mission field, going from country to country, spreading the Gospel and Christ’s love to people who otherwise wouldn’t know it. I have seen that purpose lived out through a stay-at-home mom who is so dedicated to her husband, children, and community. I have seen that purpose lived out through coaches who go above and beyond to love their athletes and show them Christ’s love. There is no one right way to live out that purpose.
The purpose that God has given us is SO MUCH bigger than the plans that I was making for myself. That doesn’t mean I don’t still dream. I still dream of becoming a wife and a mother. I’m not a teacher but I am working in a job where I fully believe I am where the Lord wants me to be. I just know that my worth and identity are not negatively affected if I don’t obtain the things I want for myself. God is still good, and I still have a very important purpose in this life. I really want you to hear that so I will say it again. Your worth and identity are not negatively affected if you do not obtain the things you want for yourself. God is still good, and you still have a very important purpose in this life.
Still dream and aspire. Having dreams and aspirations is what gives us all drive and ambition. The important thing is to never take our eyes off the purpose that God has set before us. My worth and identity come from the God that created me and gave me the purpose to love Him, love people, and make disciples.
At The Well, we desire to be a community of women who live out our potential and purpose in Christ, lead where God has placed us, and encourage others to do the same.
Learn more about our ministry and events on our main page.
