Each of us has an innate need for our lives to be purposeful. We all want to discover our God-given purpose, but we often have no idea where to begin. In this blog, we will remind you that finding and fulfilling God’s purpose for your life begins with discovering who you are — and we will also share five practical ways to get started today. Do you know who you really are?
Most people believe they have a purpose and desire to fulfill it. “God has plans for you” (Jeremiah 29:11) and “has called you to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). However, you may struggle to understand your true purpose. You try your best to help other people and serve The Lord, yet you feel unfulfilled and worry if you are truly honoring your purpose.
The process of finding your purpose is easier said than done. Fortunately, understanding and accomplishing your God-given purpose becomes significantly easier when you know your true self. We love Eugene H. Peterson’s rendering
of Galatians 6:5. It reads, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
You have spent most of your life figuring out what you are supposed to do. However, you were probably approaching your objective in the wrong direction.
Because, as Peterson’s paraphrasing implies, exploring the unique person God
created you to be is the first step in doing your creative best with your life.
Of course, finding your purpose typically entails more than simple self-awareness. However, if you are having difficulty discerning and fulfilling your purpose, it is an excellent starting point.
Here are five tips for improving your self-awareness
- Make a habit of spending time with God.
When finding who you really are, the most logical place to start is with the one who created you. After all, our ultimate purpose is to be loved by God and love Him back. And it is only in the light of our relationship with Him that we may find our true selves. Therefore, make an effort to spend meaningful time with God. Ask Him to unveil the unique interests, abilities, aspirations, and personality characteristics He has weaved into you.
Do not be worried if you do not instantly hear something from Him — “ask, and it will be given to you.” (Matthew 7.7). So, you can rest assured that He will speak to you at His time.
- Self-reflect and ask yourself questions. Apart from making a habit of spending time with God, one of the most effective ways to improve your self-awareness is to ask yourself questions such as:
• What makes me happy?
• Which skills or interests have I always excelled in or been naturally drawn to?
• How did I spend most of my time as a child?
• What am I so passionate about that I’m willing to make a sacrifice for it?
• Which values are most important to me?
• What are my biggest aspirations?
• What are the defining features of my personality?
• What would I do if I could do anything?
The purpose of asking yourself these questions is to elicit information about your true self. Your goal is to elucidate the distinguishing attributes and characteristics that make you uniquely you. As you answer these questions, try to 13 get over any ideas about who you should be from your peers or society. Rather than that, focus on what feels authentic to you. Do not be worried if you are struggling to come up with answers. Instead, start being more attentive and collect information about yourself as you go about your everyday life.
Begin by observing what makes you happy, what brings you sorrow, and what you find yourself dreaming about the most. You may discover new aspects of yourself over time as you keep track of your feelings and responses to the
world around you.
- Ask others for feedback.
It might help to ask friends and family members about their views on your top talents, abilities, or character traits. People who know you can provide insight into who you are. They can help you find gifts you may have overlooked or validate what you already know about yourself.
- Take a personality or spiritual gifts test.
Are you more energized when around other people than when you are alone? Perhaps you prefer to plan things meticulously, or perhaps you love to do things spontaneously? Are you a natural-born leader or manager? Are you a more logical or emotional person?
A good personality assessment can help you answer some of these questions by revealing your defining characteristics and how you interact with the world.
Take a spiritual gifts test for a more biblical approach. These tests can help you determine your God-given spiritual gifts and whether you are talented in areas like preaching, shepherding, evangelizing, or encouraging.
You can find a range of free and paid personality and spiritual gifts tests online. Take several tests if you have the time. Different tests are meant to highlight different aspects of your personality — some focus on your character qualities, some on the careers that best fit your personality, and others on the influence your personality has on your relationships.
Even spiritual gifts tests define spiritual gifts differently or emphasize one category of gifts more than others. Bear in mind that no online test will
provide a comprehensive picture of who you are or be 100% accurate. These tests
are only instruments for you to understand yourself better. If you get results that do not exactly fit, you can disregard them.
- Do something new or different in your life.
Many of the things you learn about yourself come from experience, so go ahead and enroll in that woodworking course or pottery class. Then, take the
leap and shoulder the responsibility of leading a semester-long service program
or Bible study.
When you discover an activity that makes you feel joyful and alive, you are most likely tapping into a deep part of yourself. That said, even if you try something and dislike it, it is not a complete loss.
Understanding what you dislike is just as critical as understanding what you love. Don’t forget to share! As you uncover the essence of who you are, consider simple ways to share what you find. For example, if you enjoy baking, bless your family with a delectable delicacy. Do not keep your gifts to yourself,and do not allow the devil to convince you that what you have to contribute is insignificant or impractical. God created you for a reason. Because the unique purpose He has endowed you with reflects something about who He is, when you express your most authentic self, you are living your purpose and bringing glory to God.
