I’ve wanted to be someone else at points in my life. Whether it was being better or different, I was rarely good enough. 

I longed to be a better:

• Daughter
• Student
• Wife
• Mom
• Host
• Professional
• Dancer 
• Child of God

Or different:

• Prettier
• Smarter
• Funnier
• More social
• Less fearful
• A boy in childhood

It wasn’t until I journeyed through counseling towards healing and wholeness that I learned God created me just the way I was for unique purposes only I could fulfill.

Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of (Christ’s) body…So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts…let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. Romans 12:4-6 

What wisdom!

Now about that boy thing. They seemed to have it easier than girls. I loved hanging out with my brother and playing with his friends. Boys are stronger and faster and possess greater advantages simply by virtue of being male.

But in my 20s, God gently revealed what it meant to be a woman, and embracing my femininity, I even started wearing dresses!

Have you ever struggled with a desire to be someone else, or different in some aspect?

I imagine few of us haven’t struggled on some level. Comparison is natural; it kept our ancestors alive when they hunted the forests or farmed the fields. 

But it’s different today. With social media and instant news in our pockets, the abundance of information can leave us crippled if we’re not careful to recognize and refute comparison when it creeps into the crevasses of our divided hearts.

Understanding my purpose is paramount to living a robust, free and joy-filled life in any season. But even when the next season is temporarily unclear, I can find purpose in my Father’s directives and declarations over my life.

Before you continue reading, pause and ask your Father to highlight anything below that may hint at a destination sign in the distance.

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. 

Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. 

Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. 

Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Discover beauty in everyone.

If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

…If you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. 

Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. Romans 12:9-21

Some of my favorite verses, The Message translation brought fresh perspective and surprising purpose.

As I read, my heart skipped a beat when I encountered:

Discover the beauty in everyone.

Tears sprang into my eyes as I heard my Shepherd whisper in the quiet of the morning:

“This, dear one, embodies your purpose—on any given day, in any season.”

Filled with new vision and purpose, I felt a little lighter and more hopeful. My pen took to the page:

“This is why I’m here—to do the will of Him who made me—to discover beauty in everyone. 

I have been going about it backward and upside down. YOU are the center of my life, not the reverse, and following you is my purpose. 

Living every day fully embracing what my King does for me is the best thing I can do for Him, myself, and the world.”

How about you? Did something stand out, warm your soul, clear the clutter, or make your heart race? Maybe:

• Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it.
• Be good friends who love deeply.
• Practice playing second fiddle.
• Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.
• Be cheerfully expectant.
• Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
• Help needy Christians.
• Be inventive with hospitality.
• Don’t be stuck up.
• Make friends with nobodies.
• If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody.
• Go buy your enemy lunch. Your generosity will surprise them with goodness.

These power-packed directives are ripe with purpose. Why not ask your Good Shepherd to open your heart to one He would delight in watching you pursue and commit to practicing it for a week?

I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised! Not only by how people respond but by the joy and satisfaction that wells in your soul. I sure was.

Purpose rarely comes knocking; it’s ever-present but sometimes prefers the shadowlands. Not to play hard-to-get or remain covertly aloof, but because there’s purification in the pursuit. 

And purity always begets clarity.

Meet me back here for more strategies on discovering your purpose in any season!