The Importance of Fulfilling God’s Call for Your Life
A Man of God is provided the opportunity and responsibility to discover and build his Christ-Centered purpose grounded in his faith. By integrating his relationship with Christ and his unique gifts, he will find deeper meaning in his relationship with Christ and impact the world around him. Yet, considering the challenges most men face today, taking the time to identify his purpose and, more importantly, living his purpose seems impossible!
“A real man allows God’s word to transform his life so that he can represent God’s will on Earth.h.” – Dr. Myles Munroe
My interest in making sense of this concept and building a Christ-centered Purpose likely stems from years of grappling with it. A friend once mentioned that men often struggle with their purpose until later in life, typically in their fifties or sixties. Though not proven, his position holds merit: developing wisdom usually takes many years, gathered from life’s ups and downs, to realize how our skills, whether mighty or meager, can serve others.
When a man works to structure his life in a way that allows him to accurately identify, cultivate, and build a Christ-centered purpose, the magnitude of the endeavor can be overwhelming. Determining the right steps and their proper sequence can lead to frustration. I’ve experienced this firsthand – it has consumed much of my life. I would have benefited from a wise mentor to guide me, to save me from wasting precious years. Yet, it’s for this very reason that has led me to write this post.
Below are ten steps that have been helpful to me in building a life of purpose centered on His call for my life:
Step 1: Build A Strong Foundation
If you are serious about centering your purpose around a relationship with Jesus Christ, be prepared to face many challenges. A solid foundation to build your Christ-centered drive will provide many positive benefits throughout your life, not just help define and follow your God-given purpose. Most importantly, investing in your spiritual growth will profoundly impact the joy you experience and change your life in every aspect, not just from a purpose perspective. Through prayer and digging deep into the Scriptures, you will broaden your understanding of Jesus and how to live your life in a manner that will build you, and others around you, up. Also, you will develop a deeper connection with God and begin to see your purpose develop, focusing on honoring Christ, not your wants or desires.
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” – James 4:8
Step 2: Find a Christian Mentor
Seek out an older/wiser man willing to invest time in your life. His involvement will be crucial to developing a purpose that will promote His Kingdom.
Finding a Christian Mentor provides a unique and spiritually enriching dimension to the mentorship experience. A Christian mentor imparts practical guidance and life wisdom and integrates faith-based perspectives, fostering personal and spiritual growth and professional development. A Christian mentor’s benefits encompass skill enhancement and goal achievement, a more profound sense of purpose, alignment with values, and a supportive community rooted in Christianity.
“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” – Proverbs 13:20
Step 3: Identify Your Strengths and Passions
Discovering your strengths and passions is critically important within a Christian framework, as it aligns with how God uniquely creates each man with a unique purpose. Recognizing and utilizing your gifts honors God’s design, fostering personal and spiritual growth. Embracing your strengths and passions leads to a more purposeful life and allows you to serve God and others more effectively, fulfilling your God-given mission.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides so that God may be praised through Jesus Christ in all things. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever.” 1 Peter 4:10-11
Step 4: Define Your Core Values and Priorities
Identifying and cultivating your core values and priorities holds paramount significance as it aligns you with the teachings of Christ and fosters a life of purpose and closeness with Him. Developing these values provides a moral compass rooted in love, compassion, and humility, guiding individuals to make choices that reflect their faith and positively impact their communities. By centering one’s life on Godly principles, a man can confidently navigate his challenges, spread God’s message through his actions, and draw closer to Christ through the process.
“But you, man of God, run away from these things. Instead, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” – 1 Timothy 6:11
Step 5: Set Clear and Measurable Goals
Whether related to your personal growth, professional aspirations, or spiritual progress, well-defined goals will propel you forward as you seek to follow Christ in deed and action. Setting clear and measurable goals is significant for a man of God as it aligns with the biblical principles of stewardship, purpose-driven living, and faithfulness in all your endeavors. These goals will provide a focused path for you to fulfill your God-given calling and contribute to His Kingdom uniquely. Such purposes enhance motivation and accountability by providing a tangible target to work towards, promoting efficient resource allocation and better decision-making. The benefits include increased productivity, better tracking of progress, and improved communication, ultimately leading to higher levels of effectiveness and a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
“Give your plans to the Lord, and you will succeed.” – Proverbs 16:3
Step 6: Embrace a Servant’s Heart
Emulate Jesus’ example by adopting a servant’s heart and seeking chances to help others selflessly. Through generously sharing your time, resources, and talents, you’ll experience the satisfaction of living out a Christ-centered purpose.
Becoming humble is a humbling experience! The process requires a man to relinquish his pride, idols, and inflated self-view. This, in turn, will transform his idea of others and the importance of Jesus’ actions in the way he placed the needs of others before his own. What’s so remarkable about this is that Jesus knew clearly what he was accomplishing and how these actions would impact someone like me over two thousand years after his death – He is Alive!!
“Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45
Step 7: Build Your Band of Brothers
A man cannot thrive on his own. He needs constant community with other men to ensure he will not stray. So many men today are alone. This is the most significant issue men face today, and it’s the enemy’s work. The most important thing a man can do weekly (at least once a week) is engage with other men to discuss life.
To that end, it’s critically important to surround yourself with a supportive community of men who share your commitment to Jesus Christ. Invest time in fellowship with other men in church activities for encouragement, support, and accountability on your purpose-driven path.
“Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.” – Hebrews 10:24-25
Step 8: Experiment:
Developing your purpose will require time and effort, learning about your likes and dislikes. On many occasions, I have believed that I wanted to try something new and that I would enjoy the experience, only to realize that I hated the activity, which is perfectly fine! The part of the process aims to try different things that might sound interesting to confirm that you are genuinely interested.
With the data you have collected in the previous steps, Identify five areas of interest and develop a plan to engage in each room to confirm your interest. Investing time in each area that holds your interest will require diligence.
“Turn your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” – Proverbs 2:2-5
Step 9: Intentionally Grow in Faith and Wisdom
Building a Christ-centered purpose is an ongoing process. Dedicate yourself to growing in faith and wisdom by regularly immersing yourself in God’s Word, attending worship, and seeking spiritual guidance. Through this continual growth, your purpose will evolve, leading to a more meaningful life.
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever.” – 2 Peter 3:18
Step 10: Pay It Forward
Paying it forward reflects Jesus Christ’s love, compassion, and selfless teachings. It embodies the principle of treating others as you would want to be treated, the Golden Rule. Paying it forward aligns with spreading God’s love and grace to others through our actions and attitudes.
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” – 1 Peter 4:10
Conclusion
By following these Christ-centered steps, you can break free from the cycle of your past and embrace a fulfilling life aligned with God’s purpose for you. Remember, you can create a positive and lasting impact on yourself, your family, and those around you. May God’s guidance lead you toward a better tomorrow.
