What is our purpose?
When I was around 22/23 years old, I went through an existential crisis. I did not know then, that what I was feeling had a name. You see, I had just finished a masters degree in a foreign country. I was away from home, from my comfort zone. I was immediately confronted with “adulting”. I questioned my purpose, my identity, my calling, what career should I purse, I panicked about what type of life I would have, restless thoughts that plagued me day and night. Scratch that, just during the day. I’ve never had trouble sleeping (and maybe that’s the problem, story for another blog post).
Life happened, marriage, kids, raising kids, so far so good, but now, I find myself having with a familiar feeling of unrest. What have I done with myself, what positive contribution have I made to humanity, asides adding to the population growth. There is a deep need we have as humans to walk in our purpose. Those who find that early, may be spared this horrid feeling. Or maybe not. I don’t know.
I saw a video on Instagram and he poster was talking about how people always worry about what their purpose is and even pray asking God to show or tell them what God’s will or purpose is for their life. The speaker referred to the book of Romans 12:2 where Paul was advising the early Christians “do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will”. The speaker explained that basically, we are free to choose any career path or job, however, whatever we do must be filtered through the will of God. If you have read the scriptures, you’ll know that Jesus’s life on earth is the exemplary life that we should emulate. So if you’re a carpenter, (Jesus’s actual career before his 3 year ministry took off), a pilot, or software engineer, our life’s purpose is to be like Jesus.
Now I have come to the realization that Christians who go through existential crisis may not have come to this full knowledge. I do not know if I will be the next tech billionaire founder or president of my country, or just a regular mum who retires at 60 after a 9-5 job. What I do know now is that I was created to glorify God with my life and in everything I do, share His love to all and proclaim the Gospel of Christ. That is just me, how about you?
