He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (AMPC)
We all long for purpose. We want our lives to count for something, because God planted that desire in us.
Because God planted this eternity-minded mission in us, it can only be fulfilled through Him. Although money and success are fine, they won’t fill this desire; neither will family or relationships.
This deep sense of purpose isn’t even satisfied by giving your life to Jesus, although it is vital to follow Him. There are a lot of unhappy, purposeless Christians, which proves that just knowing Him doesn’t fulfill this need. We need more. Ephesians 1:11 (AMPC) explains, we were all foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose. In other words, God has a purpose for you, and He’s known about it since the beginning of time.
Many people get this idea of purpose confused. They think that God only uses pastors, evangelists and missionaries, so they go after one of those titles. Meanwhile, they might be uniquely gifted for something completely different. They would have much more satisfaction and be more effective if they worked within the gifts and talents God gave them, instead of going after a churchy title.
Satisfying your desire for purpose is simple. You probably won’t have to give up your career or move far away. In fact, God wants to use you in your everyday life—your job, school, family and neighbourhood. Don’t make your purpose so complicated that you never fulfill it.