21 Powerful Purpose Discovery Questions (4 of 4)
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Hello Champion. I’m glad to bring you the last episode in our series for the month.
DISCOVERING YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE
What an adventure it has been and I trust God that you have been blessed.
We have looked at
1. Why it is important to discover the purpose of your life
2. Cardinal questions to answer to give you a proper perspective to discover your purpose.
3. Keys to Discovering your Purpose using the acronym SHAPE which stands for spirit, heart, ability, personality and experience
4. Finally, here are powerful purpose discovery questions. I trust that as you dedicate time to answer these questions and write down your answers, you would have succeeded in unearthing your life’s purpose.
The questions are 21 in number. The lessons we have covered so far will be of immense help to you in providing answers that are peculiar to you. No answer is right or wrong and you may not provide answer to all the questions. Give answers that are to the best of your knowledge and continue to review your conclusions from time to time. Remember, discovering your life’s purpose is a process.
Recall the acronym SHAPE we used in keys to discovering your life’s purpose? Good.
The first set of purpose discovery question is related to key S, which is spirit:
1. What are those things that are strongly persistent in your mind as to what you should do in life? These may be in the form of thoughts, visions, dreams or aspirations that are impossible to put out of your mind and you feel they are connected to your destiny.
2. What are your spiritual gifts?
3. What do mature Christians or people mostly say or see in you?
The second set of purpose discovery questions is related to key H, Heart (or passion)
4. Can you list those things that you do with passion and enthusiasm, you come alive when you are doing them or excited when someone is doing them; and when you are on them, you are not mindful of time or meal? (of course not things like video games or watching premier league)
5. If you can change or do something in your environment, what would that be? What problems in the society challenge you the most?
6. If you were to die after many years, what would you want to be remembered for?
7. What do you often talk about, post, share or comment on social media?
8. What is the deepest desire of your heart.
The third set of purpose discovery questions is related to key A, that is your Ability
9. What can you give 100% of yourself and your life to?
10. List your natural gifts and talents?
11. List your strengths and weaknesses
You are encouraged to ask close friends to tell you more about your gifts, talents, strengths and weaknesses.
The fourth set of purpose discovery questions is related to key P, your Personality
12. What interests or appeals to you?
13. What type of person are you: introvert, extrovert, calm, touchy, social, talkative etc?
14. List the people you admire and what qualities do you admire most in them?
15. What flows naturally out of you?
16. Where do you bring forth fruit or produce good results?
The final set of purpose discovery questions is related to key E, Experience
17. What situation in life were you very happy
18. What period in life where you very sad
19. What has made you truly proud.
20. What group of people or individuals would you like to assist or talk to if you have the opportunity?
21. What would you do or say to them? And why?
Take a deep meditation and pray asking God, “Lord, what would you have me do now that I am alive, what is my purpose for existence?” God will guide your mind into wisdom.
As you answer the questions above, pay attention to a common thread or pattern in your answer, your purpose will often repeat itself and get strengthen by other points.
Putting it all together, writing your life’s mission
Use the above to provide answers to these:
1. What do I want to do?
Use: Use the answers from Spirit, Heart
2. Who do I want to help
Use: Experience and Heart
3. What result do I hope to achieve
Use: Heart, Personality, Experience to guide your answer
These three makes up your life’s mission statement. Now make a statement by combining the answers to the last three questions above.
Your statement can be something like this:
My mission in life is to inspire (Use action words you connect with e.g. educate, accomplish, empower, encourage, improve, help, give, guide, integrate, master, motivate, nurture, organize, produce, promote, travel, spread, share, satisfy, understand, teach, write, etc) young people to discover their purpose and potential and fulfil their aspirations.
Another example of mission statement:
To impart quality education aimed at inculcating in the students strong personality that will ensure the promotion of religious, cultural and epistemological dialogue. (GO-Uni mission statement)
=> How can you achieve this? It has to do with your gifts, abilities and calling. Leave it for another time.
=> You can always review your mission and amend it as you get deeper revelation about it.
=> Purpose is fulfilled in service. Find a need/problem and help in solving it no matter how small. Matt 5:16, 16:27, Jn 4:34.
Finally, but, what shall it profit you if you gain the whole world and suffer the loss of your soul? Your primary purpose is to know, love and serve God you creator before whom you must stand and give account of your life. How do you want to meet Him? If your ways are not right with God, all this talk on purpose is a waste at the end of time. Please give your life to Christ and be rededicated to Him. Ask Jesus to come into your life. And find a Christian community to guide you in knowing Jesus our saviour.
This is Sam Attu with Champions of Destiny, giving wings to your dreams.