My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned
me by the Lord. Acts 20:24
When I was just out of school, I had the “perfect plan” for my life. I would marry the perfect man, have the perfect children, live a perfect life. It’s almost laughable when I think about it now, but clearly –– I was pursuing my own comfort and dreams.
As believers, God calls us to seek His purpose for our lives – not pursue a trouble-free life on earth. Trouble-free lives are not only unrealistic, they’re not at all reflective of God’s plan and purpose for our lives.
God has a divine assignment for each of us. To miss that assignment in life is to miss the opportunity of a lifetime. God’s plans always exceed anything we could ever dream up for ourselves. As children of God, we are gifted and called by Him to make His name famous and glorify Him in our sphere of influence.
To succeed, we must first seek God’s will through careful prayer and consideration, then focus on cooperating with Him to fulfill it. Rather than chasing after money or depending solely on our own talents, we ought to pursue His calling and desires for our life. After all, that’s where we’ll find our greatest joy and strength.
To help us discover our Life Assignment, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What are your talents?
Consider abilities and qualities you have that go all the way back to childhood. God places desires, interests, and abilities in us before we are born. What is the one thing you’re really good at doing? Track your reoccurring themes and dreams to the present. What theme is underscored in your life? Pray and ask God to help you uncover what He’s put inside you and how He wants you to use it.
2. Why do you do what you do?
There’s a big difference between doing something because we’ve stumbled into it, or because we’ve been pressured or influenced by family or friends, and doing something because we believe God has called us to do it. When we consider why we do what we do, we analyze our motives and can make a conscious choice to let go of selfish desires in order to pursue our Life Assignment.
3. What do you not do well?
Identifying what we’re called to do often demands we discover what we’re not called to do. When we eliminate things we don’t do well, and accept our limitations, we remove needless distractions in order to go after our Life Assignment.
Remember –– prayer is the critical cornerstone. Always seek God will through prayer and ask Him for wisdom and direction.
Lastly, it’s important to recognize that God always calls us to places where He is working. So, keep your eyes open and look for a place where God is clearing a path and opening a door.
Are you pursuing your God-given Life Assignment and are you willing to give it all you’ve got?
