Meet Your New Best Friend…Living on Purpose.

Mark Twain once said, “The two greatest days of your life are the day you were born and the day you discovered why.” Twain was saying all of us were born for a purpose. If you don't know what your purpose is in life, your priority is clear. Figure out your purpose. Uncover, discover, and in many cases, recover your reason for being. Why? You are the way you are because of why you are.

 

Our priorities flow out of our purpose. Our purpose determines what is important in our life. Jesus was aware of His purpose so His decisions were based on His purpose or reason for being. Because He knew where He was going, He got there. Jesus was purpose-driven. He knew He had come "to seek and save." He knew His assignment in life was to do the will of the Father. The Bible says, "The Son of God appeared for this purpose..."(1 John 3:8). Purpose is the design of God our lives. We are more productive, more prosperous, and much more peaceful when living in our purpose. A purposeful life is our ultimate sweet spot.

Peter Lowe has written about two types of people. He calls them directional thinkers and limitational thinkers.

 

"Limitational thinkers are too occupied with traveling to give much thought to their destination. They don't plan their lives. Their lives sort of evolve as they go along. Their friends are mostly chosen by proximity. Their work is mostly chosen by what is conveniently available. Whatever happens, happens."

"Directional thinkers plan their lives. In high school, they are choosing their college. In college, they are planning their careers. In their careers, they are working toward predetermined positional advancement. When they retire, naturally, they are prepared. They sense there is a purpose for their existence, and they can usually tell you what that purpose is. They invest their time in the priorities of life." They are purpose-driven but not purpose over-driven.
    

"Limitational thinkers spend time. Directional thinkers invest or plan their time. There is a sizeable difference between the two! The results at the end of your life will show it. In other words, success in all areas of life, is by choice, not by chance for most people.”

 
Are you a limitational thinker or a directional thinker? I started out a limitational thinker. Now, I'm more of a directional thinker. I chose investing over spending. The results, rewards, and relationships are so much better. The great British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli said, "The secret of success is constancy of purpose."

 

Let me finish with a few one-liners by some great people on purpose. Maybe one of these will spur us on to bigger, better, greater - discovering our new best friend called "purpose."

“Loneliness is not the absence of affection. Loneliness is the absence of direction.” John Maxwell said this amazing quote that we all should note. “Don’t wait to get to the end of your life and write a book entitled, ‘The Life I Meant to Live.’” Dr. Maxwell said, “People will summarize your life by one sentence. Pick it now.” That’s great advice for people who want to go from A to B. Zig Ziglar says, “Move from a working generality to a meaningful specific.”

 

"Your existence is evidence that this generation needs something that only your life contains." That’s a quote by Miles Monroe. And finally, Bill Johnson said it best, “The best this world can get is you, being you, with God all over you.”

 

So, get going, get growing, meet and spend some quality time with your new best friend, living on purpose.

 

Ed Delph   CCC   May 22, 2017