If you were going to take a trip what would you need?
- A suitcase or some kind of travel bag?
- A vehicle or some mode of transportation?
- Clothing
- Toiletries
You might think of other things. But did you think about how you would need to know WHERE you were going? And then you’d probably need directions or a GPS?
Living without purpose is like taking a trip without a destination in mind. You’ll never know if you’re on the right road. And you’ll always be trying to figure out where you’re going.
Living with purpose gives you confidence that you’re on the right track, and that in itself gives you a sense of fulfillment and can help you get there, even through life’s most treacherous paths.
If you’ve ever wondered why you’re here, why you even exist,you are NOT alone!
Did you know that the wisest man who ever lived–at least the Bible calls him that– wrote a whole book about trying to find purpose in life?
In the beginning of Ecclesiastes, he’s convinced that in his search for meaning, that life is pretty much meaningless. But by the end of the book, after talking about how he’s enjoyed everything this world has to offer when it comes to pleasure, riches, and philosophy, he concludes that meaning in life is found in knowing God and living for Him.
The Bible records clear purpose statements of both Jesus and Paul.
- Jesus: “I have come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
- Paul: “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” 1:28-29
What about you?
Rick Warren’s best-sellingThe Purpose-Driven Life has sold millions of copies for a reason.
S.H.A.P.E.
In preparing to coach high school students to think about their purpose, a friend introduced me to the acronym S.H.A.P.E., her psychology professor had taught her in college.
- S is for Spiritual gifts
- H is for Heart or what we are passionate about
- A is for Abilities
- P is for Personality
- E is for Experiences
My friend had no idea where the SHAPE acronym came from. As I began searching online, I found an inventory I adapted for our students, and from what I can tell, it looked like the acronym was adapted by Rick Warren also, so I gave him credit on the SHAPE assessment inventory, which I’m also providing here as a resource.
I love how this acronym takes into consideration a complete picture of the whole person. Can you think of any part of who you are that it leaves out? I can’t.
Another aspect I like about the SHAPE acronym is that it takes into consideration that you may have abilities that don’t fit your passions. Or you may have passions that drive you to develop or learn skills and abilities. Or how your experiences may have driven your passions. All this insight is so helpful as you determine your purpose.
If you’ll take the time to think through your SHAPE, it can help you determine your purpose and write a personal life purpose statement.
I recently discovered that S.H.A.P.E. is actually the title of a book by Erik Rees, and the forward is by Rick Warren. I’m super impressed by Erik Rees’s site, One Arrow Ventures. His S.H.A.P.E. book has great reviews, so I’ve ordered a copy, but based on what I see, I would recommend it.
The themes on the One Arrow Ventures site of helping people find and fulfill their purpose fits the values of Insight for Growth℠.
After you complete the SHAPE inventory, if you’ll write a personal life purpose statement, that statement can be like your personal road map to help you as you make decisions, both small and large.
Writing Your Life Purpose Statement
About five hundred years ago when a group of pastors and church leaders got together in London, England, to come up with a summary of beliefs that Christians hold in common, they started with man’s purpose, and they said it is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
Seeing that people often set glorifying God at odds with enjoying Him, pastor and author John Piper set out to understand how these two seemingly opposing motivations could be held together so closely.
In doing so, he recognized what others before him, like Jonathan Edwards and C.S. Lewis, and indeed many of the psalmists had described: that we are most satisfied in Him when we are glorifying Him. And He is most glorified in us when we are enjoying Him.
And so Piper modified the answer slightly to “Man’s chief end is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.”
A Christian could easily adopt either of these purpose statements as his own, making it personal by saying, “My purpose in life is to glorify God by enjoying Him,” and it would be fine. Awesome actually. It could be the driving force of your life that instills ownership, that fuels your passion for whatever you do.
Walt Disney’s purpose statement was simple, “to create happiness for others.” That purpose then became the driving force behind everything they did at Disneyland. They could say, “clean up the place, sweep the place, work all night, but whatever you do is contributing to creating happiness for others.”
So, you could simply say that your purpose is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.
But what if you made it a little more specific? What if you considered your SHAPE—your spiritual gifts, your heart or what you are passionate about, your abilities, personality, and experiences, and recognized that every bit of who you are has been shaped by God to make you uniquely you, with your own unique purpose?
How has God uniquely shaped you to enjoy and glorify Him? What things do you enjoy that not everyone enjoys? What things can you do that not everyone can do?
In the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, who broke the 1924 World Record when he won the Gold Olympic medal in the 400M, tells his sister Jenny, “I believe God made me for a purpose. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
How are you uniquely able to glorify Him because of how He has shaped you? When do you uniquely feel His pleasure? When I first heard the acronym SHAPE, I wanted to add a D at the end for Designed to capture the reality that every part of a person’s SHAPE has been Designed or SHAPED by God.
As you begin to work on your own personal purpose statement, reflect over the SHAPE inventory you completed. You may also find it helpful to go through the steps in Dr. Julie Connor’s article included in the link provided, Write a Personal Purpose Statement.
Here are a couple of ways you might begin your personal purpose statement:
- My purpose is…
- I exist to…
You’ll want to keep it short, no more than a couple of sentences so that you can remember it! If someone asks you what your purpose it, you should be able to say it. If you can’t, it’s either too long or too complicated, or you haven’t owned it. Remember the KISS principle: Keep it Simple, Sweetie!
As you complete the SHAPE inventory, think about where you find your greatest joy. If you are a Christian, pray about how you can glorify God and consider how what gives you the greatest joy may be what glorifies Him the most.
Then brainstorm, using positive words, present tense and start brainstorming and creating drafts. Scribble as much as you want. Get a thesaurus to help. After you’re happy with it, try it on for awhile–share it with close friends and family. Modify if you want. Then post and share on social media and other places.
Once you have your purpose statement written, use it as a gauge in your decision-making, asking yourself which choice is more likely to help you achieve your purpose, or which is most consistent with your purpose.
My purpose is to use my love for writing and encouraging others to help people see how great God’s love is.
What’s yours?