One of the most peace-giving elements in my life is having a life purpose statement that I know is right on target. It wasn't easy coming up with one - or discovering mine; it took years for me to live it, change it, pray over it, live it and change it again. Here’s what I, Regi Campbell, landed on:
“To glorify God by loving and serving others, and by challenging them to be all they can be and to give all of themselves to Jesus Christ.”
It’s been awesome to relax in my purpose. We all are called to love and serve, but my unique “third word” in my life purpose statement is to challenge. I try to only accept roles where I can challenge people, and God has both blessed my work AND made my life easier as a result. Now I don’t have as many responsibilities and I don’t feel guilty for saying no to things that will take me “off purpose.”
Knowing why you’re here is huge, and “to glorify God” doesn't get me enough specificity to do anything with.
I’ve had a ton of positive feedback from my mentees about how having a life purpose statement has helped them choose what to do with their time and energy. One recent example came from Brian who had been offered a seat on a not-for-profit board. He loves that ministry, but when he looked at his life purpose statement and then asked, “If I do this, will it be on-purpose or off-purpose for me?” he decided that it would be off-purpose and a distraction. So he turned it down - without guilt. There’s so much freedom in that. Now he’s involved with another ministry that closely aligns with his purpose--and he’s ecstatic!
My final point is this: you’re starting a PROCESS here. You’re not developing a finished PRODUCT. You need to start thinking about this - get talking with your spouse and your closest friends about this big idea of your life's purpose - it could change everything.
