Purpose

Meaning? Purpose? Many of us may have struggled with defining our purpose. Let me share a personal story about my search for purpose. The restlessness felt was wearisome as I went through the hours of each day doing what I thought I was supposed to do only to give me a fleeting degree of happiness and peace while leaving me with the feeling like something was missing. This feeling caused me to look deeper within myself. “What is my purpose?” “What makes my heart sing?” We have been told that the ultimate purpose of man is to glorify God.  As I reflected and prayed, I came to the realization that purpose manifests itself differently for each person. Using what makes my heart sing for the Lord is my own individual purpose. It gives me the courage and strength to push through the hard, yucky, and mundane knowing that those shape my ultimate purpose.  

The value of knowing your purpose is beautifully demonstrated by Viktor E. Frankl. In the book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl tells about his experience as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. He writes that with all the agony and brutality he endured in the camp, his purpose gave him the strength to not give up on his relentless fight for his life. He found meaning in his struggle. Wow! Purpose allows us to find meaning in our struggle. It gives us the power to push forward through unimaginable pain. A quote from his book describes how people were able to survive the camps without losing the will to live. “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”  What is your why? What is your purpose?

Tammy Dawson