Why Christians Should Stop Seeking Their Life's Purpose

Since Rick Warren published his all-time best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life,[1] over ten years ago, vast numbers of Christians have been on an eager quest to discover their life's purpose. Pastor Warren was careful in his book to make a distinction between worldly goals and godly ones and pointed out that he wasn't urging Christians to focus on earthly dreams and desires when seeking after their God-ordained purpose, or to collect "temporary crowns," but that they were to seek after things of eternal value. Warren also warned against deeming material blessings as integral to one's purpose, and that trials are to be viewed as growth opportunities in this temporal life. Amen.

But, themes such as "purpose-driven lives" and "dream-chasing," while currently generating wide appeal in our [somewhat Disneyfied] Christian culture, and while not being inherently wrong in themselves, are not themes that are emphasized in Scripture, however. And as extra-biblical themes have a habit of doing, the concept of being "purpose-driven" has taken on a life of its own...Over the past decade, the fad has generated a wave of manifestations, such as: purpose-driven youth ministries; purpose-driven worship conferences; purpose-driven daily devotionals, etc. Many churches have eagerly glommed onto the concept in a big way over the past ten years.

Unlike the principle of "gospel-centrality," however, which is a theme clearly emphasized in Scripture and is unequivocal in its definition, "purpose-driven" is an ambiguous term, which can mean different things to different people. More often than not, it has sadly morphed from what I believe was Pastor Warren's originally well-intended meaning into a source of spiritual narcissism. In his book, Warren does lay out five biblically sound, universally applicable, purposes for which we have each been created, but these are not often what people have in mind when they are in the throws of seeking their life's purpose.

The idea has indeed taken on a life of its own having been cast into the amorphous Twittersphere of soundbite theology. And instead of bringing clarity to God's Word, the purpose-driven theme has caused confusion among Christians, many of whom have been unable to clearly identify a specific, God-ordained calling on their lives and have ended up feeling discouraged and directionless as a result. Just yesterday, I was talking with yet another frazzled stay-at-home mom who looked me with desperate eyes and lamented, "I just can't figure out what my purpose is." I know how you feel. I've been there, too.

Another popular wave of post-modern teaching that has been sweeping through the Western Church of late emphasizes chasing God-sized dreams. Dream-chasing has become something of a fad in many nontraditional churches. Dream Centers[2] are being built, dream-chasing small groups are being formed, and Dream Conferences are being held. It all sounds good doesn't it? And again, the idea in itself isn't wrong. It's just that nowhere in the Bible, are Christians urged to chase dreams. Like the purpose-driven theme, the terminology of dream-chasing in Christian teaching is problematic, because it can too easily be misunderstood and cause the centrality of Christ to be obscured. The contemporary Christianese of dream-chasing vernacular does sound more like the theme of a Disney movie than a biblical exposition of God's Word. And there is a reason for this. Because when we end up talking about dreams—or any theme—more than we're talking about the gospel of Christ, there's a problem. Here's the point: when the themes of Christian conferences, sermons, and books don't echo Biblical themes, we're going down a slippery theological slope.

A good example of how an extra-Biblical theme can lead to unsound theology, can be seen in the opening of Pastor Warren's book, in which he asks readers to sign a covenant to partner with him by committing the next 40 days of their lives to discovering their life's purpose. He then promises that, “By the end of the journey you will know God’s purpose for your life and will understand the big picture—how all the pieces of your life fit together.” (p.9) But who are we—and who is Warren—to place a time frame on God's guidance for our lives? The Bible is clear that God doesn't operate on our schedule, for with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day (2 Peter 3:8).

Furthermore, Christians who are seeking to define a God-given purpose for their lives are often disappointed when the lofty calling or grandiose mission they were anticipating doesn't materialize. What if your purpose that day is picking up Cheerios off the floor? Does that seem like making a difference in the world? Instead of reaching for the stars, many of us spend our days scrubbing the bathroom floor or staring at a computer screen. One might ask: could these menial tasks really be part of God's plan for me? Or am I missing something? And what about that inspirational verse: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jer 29:11)? There's nothing menial about that!

Ah...the oft-quoted coffee-cup verse.... Don't get me wrong! This is a verse to be cherished—like all verses of Scripture should be. But, also like all verses of Scripture, it is to be cherished in context. While Jeremiah 29:11 should rightfully give us a sense of hope, it is often quoted without any acknowledgement that this was God's promise through Jeremiah to the people of Israel while they were in exile to Babylon. And as promised, the Israelites came out of exile after 70 years.

This is not to say that the promises of the old covenant (given to Israel under Old Testament Mosaic law) are not applicable to Christians today under the new covenant (through which the law of Moses has given way to new life in Christ). Paul clarifies this: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ." (Cor 1:20). And Hebrews 9:15 declares, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” In other words, all God's promises, purposes, and plans are now fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ. Therefore, God's purpose for believers today is always going to point us to Christ. Not ourselves. And praise God for that!

The truth is, however, most of us struggle with a yearning for personal significance in this world. And so, the whole purpose-driven mantra that has prevailed in Western Christendom over recent years has inadvertently promoted more self-centerdness among believers than it is has Christ-centeredness. For when we spend more time thinking about our purpose than we do thinking about God's Word, we can start to elevate ourselves without realizing it. Unfortunately, our inherently selfish fallen nature has a tendency to twist potentially edifying concepts into narcissistic ones all too easily. And extra-biblical themes that are superimposed onto Scripture leave us vulnerable to doing just that.

It cannot be denied that our increasingly godless culture is dominated by self worship. Therefore, we should be on guard against its narcissistic influences seeping into the Church. In our post-modern context of selfism, seeking personal "purpose" has too much potential to puff us up, and therefore should be avoided.

For in actuality, Scripture teaches that our purpose as Christians is both singular and universal; it is to glorify God. And we are clearly instructed to do this by 1) living biblical, God-honoring lives, and 2) pointing others to Christ (making disciples). In other words, we are to obey what Jesus taught are the two greatest commandments: 1) to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, (which is synonymous with seeking to please Him as our loving Father) and 2) to love our neighbors as ourselves (which is synonymous with encouraging others to embrace new life in Christ). In both cases, the focus is ultimately off of ourselves, and onto God. Our purpose is naturally humbling. Are you noticing a theme?

This might sound over-simplified to those who prefer a more tangible or specific life-goal to cling to, but the fact is, Jesus never mentioned individual purpose, calling, or goals in His teaching. Nor did the apostles. A brief look at the major themes of Jesus' teaching in the Gospels, and those that are echoed throughout the Epistles reveals that the gospel message is unwaveringly central. Indeed, God's Word consistently and lovingly calls sinners to die to self in order to embrace new life in Him (Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9;23; Gal 2:20; Eph 4;22-24; Phil 1;21). Importantly, the emphasis is not on individual purpose here, but instead on self-denial. In the words of John the Baptist, "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30)

Jesus' earthly ministry culminates in a universal call to go out into the world and make disciples in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Matt 28:19-20). The Great Commission, as it is known, is a calling to all believers to glorify God through the furtherance of His kingdom. Notably, Jesus is careful to point out that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we fulfill this purpose—not through our own strength or strategies. We are simply the messengers, not the manufacturers, of salvation.

Another consistent theme in the New Testament is justification, not by good works, but by faith alone in Christ alone, as laid out in Galatians and Romans (the emphasis is not on individual purpose here either, but unquestionably on the gospel of Christ). The central message of Philippians is an admonishment to rejoice in one's sufferings for Christ and to trust in the sovereignty of God (again, no mention of individual purpose). The need for believers to be united in Christ is emphasized in 1 Corinthians (no mention of individual purpose here either). 2 Corinthians is a testimony of Paul that through trials our hearts draw closer to God as He is able to comfort us and mold us into His image (God does use suffering to hone is, and in that there is purpose, but this is not the type of "purpose" or "dream" most people are seeking after). Colossians proclaims Christ's deity and urges us to reject worldly philosophies (which sadly the purpose-driven mantra has become more akin to).

As we move through the New Testament, the themes are consistently Christ-centered as opposed to purpose-driven. Paul's high Christology is unmistakable and constant. 1 & 2 Thessalonians encourage persecuted believers to look forward to the day of Christ's return (again no individual goals or purposes mentioned here). 1 & 2 Timothy highlight the importance of refuting false teaching (hmmm). Titus mainly instructs pastors to fight against both legalism and license, urging them to stand firm in the gospel of grace. 1 Peter emphasizes that sufferings and persecutions are to be expected in this life, but that there is hope in Christ. 2 Peter speaks out against licentious living and encourages believers to continue in godly living to the end. Paul's letter to Philemon instructs him to accept Onesimus now that he had converted to Christ. Hebrews embraces the new covenant over the old. James teaches that authentic Christian living involves loving others in Christ through trusting and obeying Him. John's epistles warn against false teachers and hold that obedience is integral to faith in Christ. John also urges believers to practice hospitality and support missionaries. Jude encourages believers to contend for the faith, clinging to Christ in godliness. And the final message in Revelation is to remain watchful, ready, and hopeful in eager expectation of the coming of our King.

In sum, the New Testament thematically exhorts us to live humbly in Christ-centered obedience. There really isn't anything in there about seeking one's personal life-purpose. So, why are we spending so much energy talking about something God's Word largely ignores? Sure, you can cherry-pick Bible verses to back up extra-biblical themes, but this doesn't mean they reflect the tenor of God's Word. It all seems like a bit of a distraction.

None of this means that we won't ever do great things in God's strength, for His glory. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. In God's strength we will be used to do amazing things! The Bible tells us so! But my point is, if we're too focused on our purpose, our gifts, or our you-name-it, and not enough on Him, we might miss the opportunity to do great things altogether. It's when are humbly immersed in God's Word, and prayerfully seeking Him, that we can be powerfully used by He "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (Eph 3:20). We can trust that He will make use of the gifts He has given us, or equip us to serve Him in unprecedented ways. All we need to do is step out humbly in faith and keep our eyes on Him.

And none of this should be mistaken to mean that God doesn't care about the details of our individual lives—even the hairs on our heads are numbered, for instance (Matt 10:30)! Nor does it mean He doesn't love us intimately as individuals! Psalm 139, for example, makes that clear. But by calling us to live for His glory, God is graciously saving us from ourselves. And we are released from the exhausting task of figuring out His purpose for our lives because quite simply Jesus Christ is our God-given life-purpose. Praise God that we can stop running down those endless rabbit trails in a futile quest to find the answers, because we already have THE answer! We can find freedom, rest, guidance, and hope in Him—for the great I AM is the one true purpose in life.

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1. Over 30 million copies sold to date
2. For example, Dream Center, DC http://dcdreamcenter.com/

My Search for Significance in a World of Stray Cheerios

When I had my first baby seven years ago, I experienced a text-book case of identity crisis. I had recently left my job—a job in which I could walk around in business suits and heels, call meetings, and hold conference calls. People called me on my extension to ask me questions. And I had answers. I was significant. But then I quit. I found myself abruptly thrown from a busy world of downtown DC streets, metro stops, bustling lobbies and conference rooms into the quiet solitude of our town house. It was a beautiful Victorian on Capitol Hill, but suddenly the house I had loved, and in which my husband and I had envisioned an idyllic family life, seemed more like a prison cell with its window-less walls on each side and the bars in front. The depth of the floor plan, which had initially been an appealing feature to us as home-buyers, now felt claustrophobic, like I was trapped in a long, narrow tunnel with the only source of light filtering in dimly from each end. To make matters worse, we lived a stone's throw from the Capitol building. Exciting things were happening just blocks away, but I was completely shut off from it all. So near, yet so far! I would walk past soaring monuments and imposing buildings with my baby stroller feeling extremely small—almost invisible. There was a nice security guard I would often pass on my purposeless treks to Union Station, and he'd always wave and shout out something friendly. But he was the only one who seemed to notice me. When at home, I often half-joked to myself that I was like Mariana in the Moated Grange, watching the clock, waiting for my husband to battle rush hour traffic and return home!...

All day within the dreamy house,

   The doors upon their hinges creaked;

The blue fly sung i' the pane; the mouse

   Behind the mouldering wainscot shrieked,

   Or from the crevice peer'd about.

Old faces glimmered through the doors,

   Old footsteps trod the upper floors,

   Old voices called her from without.

She only said, "My life is dreary,

    He cometh not," she said;                           

She said, "I am aweary, aweary,

    I would that I were dead!"

It was all very tragic. Logically, I knew we were blessed to live in a such a wonderful place and to be able to provide for our child in ways that many people in other parts of the world could not. But my identity crisis, clichéd and admittedly quite comical as it is in retrospect, was seriously crippling at the time—preventing me from appreciating all that God had given me and, more importantly, all that God is.

The problem, it seemed, was that I had lost my sense of purpose. Some would say, I had lost my sense of self. I had a graduate education and eight years of work experience, but rather than using my skills, I now spent my days at home with our baby, who slept most of the time, leaving me alone to clean up a perpetual mess of misplaced sweet-potato spoonfuls and stray Cheerios. I was often on my knees scraping the kid-crumbs out of the cracks in our old wooden floors, the charm of which was now lost on me. My big-picture world of international development had been reduced to a myopic one that magnified floor grit and dust balls. 

But my gloomy outlook wasn't a product of my circumstances. It was rooted in a deep-seated heart problem that presented itself in my desperate need for significance. What is my purpose? I would ask my harrowed husband as he walked in bleary-eyed from the DC rush-hour craze. I am here all day, not using my God-given gifts. Has God forgotten about me? Why did He give me gifts if I can't use them?

In my frantic search for significance, I read The Purpose-Driven Life, and prayed for God to reveal to me my purpose...for God to impart to me His plan for my life and my special calling. But the more I prayed, the less I heard. And I was left more confused than ever. I wanted to serve Him, but I didn't know how. I knew that my identity was in Christ, not in my career, in my family, or in anything other than in Him. But I hadn't understood the depth of what this really meant. I still felt insignificant.

But the Bible teaches that our true significance is found in God's love for us. We each are significant because there is a mighty God, the Creator of the universe, who values and loves each of us individually, for even the hairs on our heads are numbered (Luke 12:7). And He loves each of us intimately for He knows every word we will utter before we speak it and He is familiar with all our ways (Psa 139:3-4). He cares about the details of our lives, because every day ordained for us was written in His book before it came to be (Psa 139:16). And we know that He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16). 

In actuality, I had been seeking my sense of significance in my "calling," rather than in God's love for me. This realization hit me one Sunday when our pastor pronounced: "It's not about what we can do for God, it's about what He's already done for us!" It was then that I began to understand the need to stop focusing on myself and to instead fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, who had endured the cross for me (Heb 12:2). Up to that point, it had been about all about me; my calling, my gifts, my purpose. Without realizing it, I had been trying to fit God into my own self-centered world, in which I was the star. But it wasn't about me at all. It was about Him. It wasn't about some lofty purpose or grandiose calling on my life. It was all about Him.  

It can be very confusing for us as Christians when we are constantly told we need to identify our special purpose on Earth and access our spiritual gifts in order to function more effectively as servants of God. But, actually, the more we focus on these things, the more we take our eyes away from Jesus and the more egocentric we can become. It's good to know what our gifts are and how best to use them, but we shouldn't build our lives around our gifts. We can trust God that He will lead us to use the gifts He has given us in His perfect way, in His perfect timing. The pressure is taken off us, as we surrender more fully to Him. This is especially true in ministry as I was to find out some time later. I learned (sometimes the hard way) that as soon as I made my ministry about myself instead of God, I was working in my own strength, not His. Rather than treating our gifts as the starting point, then, we should start out by responding to the needs of others first. If we see a need, we should prayerfully try to meet it according to our ability. If God opens up an opportunity to reach out to someone with His love, we should take it. This enables us to step out of our comfort zone and grow in our faith.

So, instead of getting bogged down in a quest to find our special purpose, we can rest in the knowledge that our purpose as believers is singular: it is to glorify God. We know from Scripture that we were created to please God, for He said, "Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—for everyone who is called by my name, I created for my glory, whom I formed and made" (Isa 43:7). There are many ways in which we can glorify Him, through obedience, service, ministry, worship, and witnessing. But the end goal should always be for His glory—nothing more, nothing less. 

I realized that my God-given role right then was to take care of my new baby and husband both of whom I was really thankful for. It wasn't a high-profile role in ministry or missions, but it was where God had me at that time. This was a good lesson in humility because I began to realize that I didn't need to be significant in the world's eyes. I didn't need to seek credibility in the approval of others. What really mattered was glorifying God in all I did, even if He was the only one who noticed. And even if my job was picking up stray Cheerios that day, I needed to do it for His glory! 

Now, when I see a stray Cheerio on the floor (which I often do), it makes me chuckle as I'm reminded how something that seems so small and insignificant can actually carry so much meaning.