WHAT’S DRIVING YOU? | Northstar Church

“I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him.” – Oswald Chambers.

Life is a journey. We are all traveling inevitably towards the end of our lives. We will either coast through life without direction or live lives of purpose and fulfillment. Where are you going, and what are you doing about it? In other words, what’s driving you?

Everyone is driven by something. Is it fear? Is it anger? Is it remorse? Is it ambition? The desire to please? The accumulation of possessions? God wants us to be purpose-driven people, driven by His plan, His purpose for our lives.

Jeremiah was called to be a prophet of the Lord. Despite doubting his ability to speak and showing concern about his age, Jeremiah had a calling on his life. Jeremiah 1 :4-5 says, “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Humans are created for a purpose, which comes from God. He says, “I formed you … I knew you … I consecrated you … I appointed you …” God created us for a well-established purpose and gave us the means to accomplish that work. Our calling was put into place before we were even formed.

Further, verse 4 tells us exactly where to look for our purpose. “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,…” If you want to find your purpose, spend time in God’s Word, through which He speaks to us.

Unlike Jeremiah, God probably did not appoint us prophets to the nations. But He did set us apart for service within His kingdom. We are not just a nameless face in the crowd. God knows each of us intimately and knows best where and how to use us. So the key is getting in touch with His thoughts and His ways so we know our purpose. He sent His Holy Spirit to help guide us just that way.

We need to trust God. Trying to discover your life purpose can be stressful and overwhelming. It can seem like such a big, confusing, frustrating subject. You want to move forward, but you’re not sure how. You want to find your purpose, but you feel like you’re aimlessly wandering.

But you can trust God to lead you where he wants you to go. As Psalm 23:2-3 says, “He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

You may feel confused, but God isn’t.

Discussion Questions:

What do you believe is your purpose in life?
What distractions or influences keep you focused on your problem, not your purpose?