Every person is created with a purpose and discovering that purpose is, for many, a significant aspect of life. It's not simply about finding a job you enjoy; it's about recognizing how your work serves a larger purpose and contributes to the world around you. And, in many cases, that work may not be what you do for a living. For many of us, there is a clear line between our jobs and our life’s work.
Martin Luther King Jr. is an excellent example of someone who embodied purpose. Not only did Dr. King practice his purpose in his job as a minister, but he believed so deeply in the power of reconciliation over victory, his work outside of the church also demonstrated a commitment to a cause greater than himself. This is, in essence, finding one’s spiritual purpose.
What Does it Mean to Have a Spiritual Purpose?
One of the core tenets of living a spiritual life, and one of the primary reasons for a spiritual journey, is the discovery of a spiritual purpose. We all have one; we were all created for a reason; we’re here for a reason. But what does it really mean to have a spiritual purpose?
- Bringing Heaven to Earth: Your purpose involves bringing a little piece of heaven into this world. This means acting with love, kindness, and compassion in your daily life.
- Tough Mind, Tender Heart: Finding your purpose requires both a tough mind and a tender heart. You need the resilience to face challenges and overcome obstacles, but also the empathy to connect with others and offer support.
- Taking Action: Living your purpose goes beyond simply feeling compassion; it requires taking concrete actions to serve others and make a difference in the world.
- Finding Joy in the Journey: Embrace the process of discovering and living your purpose. Find joy in using your gifts to contribute to something larger than yourself.
Through our spiritual journeys, we should seek to not only learn our purpose, but also embrace it and allow it to guide us. Finding this purpose allows us to strive to live a life filled with meaning and service.
Distinguishing Spiritual Purpose from the Cultural Idea of Finding Yourself
In popular culture, people embarking on a journey of self often say, “I’m finding myself.” We want to be careful here and differentiate between a spiritual purpose and “finding yourself.”
Though there may be an element of self-discovery in both, meaning we may be asking similar questions about who we are, finding one’s spiritual purpose is more than just a self-fulfillment project. It's more than just, what do you want to be?
We have a very specific language around journeys to self that never require the introspection or even the service aspect a spiritual search requires, by definition. For example, while both may ask “Who do you want to be?” or even “What lights you up?” What if who you want to be is a self-motivated, self-involved narcissist? What if what lights you up is something that hurts others?
So how do we distinguish between the two? Simply pursuing what you "desire" or what "lights you up," a journey to self, can be misleading. Our desires might not always align with what is truly good or beneficial—for ourselves or others. Spirituality and religion is about asking “How do we take this desire and direct it in a way that's actually helpful? In a way that feeds our souls? That brings us closer to who we truly are.
Unlike the inward focus of "finding yourself," the outward focus is inherent to finding one’s spiritual purpose. A spiritual purpose brings a little more heaven to this often broken world by sharing the little piece of heaven each of us embodies as spiritual beings, as love.
A search for spiritual purpose highlights service to others and a desire to heal the world as a central focus. It's not about discovering what makes you happy, but about how you can contribute to something larger than yourself.
Understanding Tough Mind and Tender Heart
We’ve mentioned a tough mind and a tender heart because both of these characteristics play an essential role in living a purposeful life. Understanding them is the first step in cultivating and nurturing them in ourselves and others. As we see in Matthew 10:16, this balance is about being as "gentle as doves and wise as serpents."
What We Mean By Tough Mind
- Sense of Responsibility/Resolve: A tough mind possesses a strong sense of duty and determination. It's about having the grit to persevere even when facing challenges.
- Outward Focus: An outward focus looks beyond the present, with eyes on the future and the bigger picture. It recognizes that God speaks to us through the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
- Embraces Struggle: It understands that life involves battles and is prepared to face them head-on. It doesn't shy away from difficulties.
- Potential Pitfall: Without a tender heart to balance it, a tough mind can become harsh, insensitive, and self-serving. This leads to a distorted and ultimately unfulfilling approach to life and purpose.
Example of a Tough Mind
One great recent example of a tough mind driven by a profound sense of purpose includes the civil rights marchers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Despite facing the brutal reality of state troopers armed with batons and tear gas, these individuals remained resolute in their pursuit of justice and equality. Their tough minds were not fueled by aggression or a desire for victory but by an unwavering commitment to a cause greater than themselves.
Potential Pitfalls of a Tough Mind:
As we mentioned, without the balancing influence of a tender heart, a tough mind can become rigid, unfeeling, and self-serving. Like individuals, when religion and spirituality become tough minded, we’re missing the point of danger when he states, "If your religion is just tough minded and it makes you mean, you're missing the purpose. Pairing a resolute spirit with genuine compassion and concern for others is paramount.
What We Mean By Tender Heart
- Openness and Compassion: A tender heart is receptive to others, allowing empathy and understanding to guide its actions. It's open to experiencing the pain and suffering of others, choosing to "suffer with" them.
- Driven by Love and Care: It's motivated by a deep and genuine love for others, seeking to nurture and support those around it. Its primary focus is caring for others.
- Potential Pitfall: Without a tough mind to ground it, a tender heart can become overly sentimental and lack direction. It risks becoming overwhelmed by emotion without the strength to make difficult choices or take meaningful action.
Example of a Tender Heart
A perfect example of both characteristics, in balance, is the Bible’s Good Samaritan. In that story, the Samaritan exhibits a tender heart by caring for the injured man, when others pass him by, by tending to his wounds and delivering him to an inn. Yet he also demonstrates a tough mind and outward focus by taking practical steps to ensure the man's well-being moving forward and paying the innkeeper to take care of the man.
Potential Pitfalls of a Tender Heart
Without the grounding influence of a tough mind, a tender heart can become directionless, overly sentimental, and ineffective. It may, therefore, be prone to acting based solely on emotion or easily manipulated. The balance between compassion and a clear sense of purpose enables individuals to translate good intentions into meaningful actions.
Ultimately, a purposeful life balances both approaches to life, where a tough mind provides resilience and direction, a tender heart ensures compassion and love are at the center of one's purpose. This harmonious combination enables us to act with both strength and sensitivity, creating a powerful force for positive change in the world.
Understanding the Doctrine of Use and its Relationship to Spiritual Purpose
If we consider that both of these, in balance, lead us to action, we should also then seek to act using our unique skills. This is the inherent principle behind the Doctrine of Use. The Doctrine of Use centers around identifying our unique gifts and using them to contribute to the world. It's about recognizing how we can be "useful" by sharing our talents and abilities with others.
In fact, the doctrine of use directly connects to finding purpose by suggesting that:
- You were created on purpose, with a specific set of gifts. Your existence is not accidental; you are inherently designed to offer something valuable to the world.
- Your purpose involves identifying and sharing your gifts. Just as God gives gifts freely, you are meant to use your gifts for the betterment of others. This creates a continuous cycle of giving and receiving, enriching both the giver and the receiver.
- Your work or everyday activities can become an expression of your purpose. We should look beyond simply enjoying our job and consider the purpose it serves in the world. Aligning our actions with our purpose means we can find deeper fulfillment and meaning in our work.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the doctrine of use is the shift in perspective it encourages. More specifically, we move from "What do I want to do?" to "What is God trying to do through me?" Instead of solely focusing on your personal desires and ambitions, the Doctrine of Use prompts you to consider how your actions can serve a larger purpose– become a conduit for positive change in the world.
3 Challenges in Living Out Our Spiritual Purpose
While there are, undoubtedly, positive aspects of living a spiritually purposeful life, this path presents challenges. As we’ve discussed in the past, we should also be grateful for challenges as they provide us, also, with opportunities. The challenges we might encounter when striving to live out our spiritual purpose include:
- Discerning between the soul's guidance and the ego's demands:
Ego is about self. The soul, in contrast, is about wisdom and love, much like God. The ego can be misleading as we cater to fleeting desires. The ego often prioritizes personal gain, recognition, and comfort. It can cloud our judgment, leading us toward pursuits that might not align with our spiritual purpose.
In contrast, when we consult with our soul when making important life decisions, particularly those related to our purpose, it feels, physically, emotionally, and spiritually different. We, when making decisions that align with our spiritual purpose, recognize the interconnectedness of humanity and are guided toward actions that benefit both ourselves and others.
However, recognizing and differentiating between these two internal voices can be a difficult task and takes practice, such as meditation and prayer.
- Cultivating and balancing a tough mind and tender heart
Living a life of purpose requires both a tough mind—characterized by grit, determination, and a willingness to embrace challenges—and a tender heart—marked by compassion, empathy, and openness to others. But achieving and maintaining this balance can be challenging.
However, developing a tough mind can be difficult in a culture that often prioritizes comfort and instant gratification. Committing to a purpose greater than ourselves might necessitate facing difficult choices, enduring setbacks, and making sacrifices that test our resolve.
Similarly, maintaining a tender heart in a world often filled with suffering and injustice can be emotionally draining and even disheartening. If we're doing the spiritual path in the way God has asked us to do it, remember because you have an open heart, it will break even more, not less.
- Taking concrete action in a world that often favors passivity
Spiritual purpose requires more than good intentions or fleeting feelings. It necessitates taking concrete steps. Remember, the aim is to bring a little piece of heaven to an often broken world. However, translating aspirations into action can be challenging in a world that often encourages passivity, particularly in the digital age.
For example, social media can create the illusion of meaningful action. Liking or sharing a post is great, but if we're really going to have that tough mind part, there's things we have to do. Look beyond superficial engagement and invest time, resources, and energy in pursuits that align with your spiritual purpose.
Ready to start your journey? Ready to search for your spiritual purpose? Regardless of where you may be in this effort, the community at NewChurch Live is here to help. From providing concrete actions to nurturing a tender heart that focuses on love and service, we’d love to connect!
