2011 has been an amazing year, a year that God provided plenty! He provided plenty of moments that reminded me that He is in charge of my life and that I am not a living accident, but a purposed design. He has provided plenty of opportunities to be used for His glory, moments that truly gave me the sense that I "was made for this purpose". He has provided plenty of grace-filled moments with my loving wife, amazing daughter and the new addition of our son, providing us with the resources and support to guide our family for His glory. I am grateful for the precious family and friends in our lives. I consider myself and my family the richest people I know because of Christ who is our sufficiency and because of the amazing gifts of relationship we have.
As I prepare to exit 2011 and enter 2012 I am spending some time reflecting on God's purpose for my life and I want to invite others to do the same. I have benefited greatly from diagnostic tools such as DISC personality tests, Myers-Briggs and recently Clifton Strengths Finder. They have all helped me better understand myself in my quest to answer the question "What was I created to do?", but with all they have added to me they have all been insufficient to an extent. Their insufficiency lies in the fact that each of these tools relies on comparing people to ideal personality types and pre-determined strengths. Despite all that they give, they lack the power to fully describe us to ourselves because they overlook the biblical truth that each of us has unique gifts, strengths and callings. Our similar strengths and experiences are not enough to overshadow the fact that God has been writing a unique story through our lives, a story that only He can explain to us and help us discern.
I started reading "Leaders Who Last" by Dave Kraft this morning and I can't put it down. It is simple, insightful and a must read for anyone who wants to impact this world for Christ. In a chapter on discerning our purpose, Kraft provides us with one of the best and simplest outlines for discerning our unique destiny I have come across. I have been working through it in my heart in between changing diapers and doing things around the house. As I work on number 10, the words that come to mind are "Ignite", "Realign", "Discover" and "Empower". Still working on the others.
As we enter a new year, our effectiveness is determined by our ability to discover the ancient. By ancient I mean to imply that each of us has a destiny that is ancient, that was determined before the foundation of the world, that if discovered will give us a path to walk on. I hope this reflective exercise will help you discover God's ancient purpose for your life, so that you can walk in greater joy, power, and effectiveness in Christ!
1. Record Bible passages God has applied to your life.
2. Reflect on how God has used you in the past.
3. Determine what you are passionate about.
4. List your known gifts and strengths.
5. Delineate what you have excelled at in your work experience.
6. Define what action words best describe what you like to do.
7. Write down what you enjoy doing in your free time.
8. Reread all your answers.
9. Take note of common themes.
10. Write down key words or ideas that repeat.
11. Summarize those key words in a short, energizing statement about yourself.
Kraft, Dave (2010-03-03). Leaders Who Last (p. 46). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition.
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