Your Life Has Purpose

Discover how uncovering your God-given identity shifts your daily routine into a life of clear purpose and lasting destiny.

Life with no meaning is no life at all. We all want our lives to matter, even if we won’t admit it. One of life’s most-asked questions is, “What is my purpose?” Purpose speaks to intentionality and utility. It suggests that we are not here by accident, but have value and significance that reach far beyond the day-to-day routines that remind us of Apple TV’s show Severance.

Discovering Our Identity

I often talk about a philosophical triad of existence: a person’s identity, purpose, and destiny. Our identity is who we are. Our purpose is why we are. Our destiny is where we are going and where we will ultimately end up. Each must be ascertained in successive order. We must know our identity to discover our purpose, and we must understand our purpose to glimpse our destiny.

This triad is constantly refined as we uncover more of our identity. This helps us operate with greater clarity and focus because we can specialize in areas that fit us, rather than those we may try to force.

The challenge to discovering our identities is that we must first have an encounter with our Creator. Until we meet God, we can never truly meet ourselves. He alone knows our identity, purpose, and destiny, because we are the work of His hands. Much like the manufacturer of a complex machine, God knows every nook and cranny of our lives, what we can do, and what we are here to do—and He is always available to reveal ourselves to us.

Identity Encounters in Scripture

There are countless examples in Scripture where God introduced people to themselves.

First, there is Moses. He was a Hebrew born during a period of infanticide mandated by Egypt's oppressors. Despite being targeted for genocide, God spared his life because He had a plan for him. When Moses was 80 years old, God appeared to him and said, “I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt” (Exod. 3:10). Moses’s purpose was to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

Second, there is Jeremiah. He was born when God’s patience with Judah was running out. As a member of the priestly tribe of Levi, his career path was to follow in his father's footsteps and serve in the temple. Yet in his teens or early twenties, God appeared to him and said, “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Jeremiah’s purpose was to prophesy to Judah (and the nations) to repent before God’s judgment fell.

Third, there is Esther. She was born while the Persians controlled a vast territory that included the land of Judah. She was just an ordinary teenager going about her business when she was involuntarily enlisted in what could be described as an anachronistic version of The Bachelor. By divine providence, she was selected to be Queen. Despite the humiliation and fear she must have experienced, her cousin, Mordecai, helped her understand the moment, saying, “You have achieved royal status for such a time as this!” (Est. 4:14). Esther’s purpose was to protect the lives of the Jewish people within the empire.

Last, there is Nehemiah. He, too, was born under Persian rule. He served as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I and enjoyed a plush lifestyle in the king’s palace. Yet he received a visit from one of his relatives living in Jerusalem, who provided a grim report on the people's condition and their lack of security. It was at that time that he returned to Jerusalem, later recording in his memoir, “I did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:12). Nehemiah’s purpose was to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and restore Judah’s national pride.

In each of these instances, their identity, purpose, and destiny were revealed over time. None of them knew early on who they would be or what they would accomplish with God’s help. But God uncovered their purpose—either directly through a divine encounter or indirectly through people and circumstances—to bring them to their destiny.

Divine Design

Our lives are no different. God orchestrates the course of our lives to bring us to His expected end. We may not know His plans, but He does. We may not understand His ways, but He does. We may not see the end, but He does.

So let’s trust Him with patient spirits and persevering hearts, knowing that we are here by divine design to serve a purpose that is far greater than ourselves.

Dr. Isaac Hayes is an Assistant Pastor at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois, and author of Men After God’s Heart: 10 Principles of Brotherly Love. He also has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Follow Dr. Hayes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube at @RevIsaacHayes.