Finding God's Purpose for Your Life

Then why find your way. If you don't everything else is in the way you know why somehow the mountains and to get as big as they were, that's can cost assuring insight about finding God's will and purpose for your life. Welcome to another program. This is Focus on the Family with your host focus president and Dr. Jim Daly on John Fuller and can help us find that purpose and meaning that every one of us longs in our spiritual journey work in our life together is John.

There are those who feel like the sweet spot may be an almost categories they feel filled in every way things are going well and for whatever reason it's working out well for you and congratulations there are many, many others though who aren't sure they're not quite sure what the Lord wants them to do their struggling I'm thinking of the 20 thirtysomethings that are aware of what God would like to do with their lives in their waiting and today we do want to discuss how you hear from the Lord how you think and prepare so that you're ready for that call, and how do we know when that call comes, those are big questions and working to tackle this today on Focus on the Family yet and can is here to speak about that.

He's an investment banker is been doing that for more than 40 years. But he's invested in far more valuable things than the financial world, that he speaks into the lives of young people about building God's kingdom and he's written a book called know your why WHY know your wife finding and fulfilling your calling in life can welcome to Focus on the Family thank you it's great to be had to be with you. They had that wonderful British accent so you residing in London. I didn't think I got the ax and welcome to America.

We were grateful for that. Let me ask you.

I saw the title. Know your why my first thought is what is my why were getting into the what, where, why stuff, but what is my wife, what do you mean by the word. Why anybody would. Why is that deep conviction the spirit of God puts upon the people of God that they max out to God in all aspects of life, not just in the chats aspect that's what I really mean there is a spirit that's working long before people try and say will have a nice have gone well when I sent God when when I said God how long the Lord bless you tackle the why question is a purpose to your life. Those others become much more difficult to what you think. We separate those attributes our vocation our spiritual walk.

Our family why we struggle integrating those under a faith umbrella. Such a good question. I tell you why I think it is. I think that the world we living in is a very silent well very atomized.

It's trying to divide us into different pots.

This is your family life. This is your website.

This is your spiritual official school life. This is where and nothing holds together, but all rights to the into the Colossians he says in Christ Jesus. All things hold together. And that's the great thing we have is to be able to pull them together in Christ Jesus for the person that's going to church but waking up on Monday. Maybe in the business world is 40 years in banking. You can live a bifurcated life. How does a person take the assessments okay something is not right. I'm not integrating my faith. What does that look like what it looks like you have to have one thing in mind when you get to look at my workstation is my worship station. If you workstation in your worship station run together you can live in integrated life if you split the two people to screw yourself up mentally, physically and emotionally inclined be haunted with competitive from Monday to Friday and then the kind dad father to the kids good husband will relax at the weekend doesn't work for you in the banking business can where there moments where you acted out of character.

The stress of competing for that big contract.

How did you manage that as a Christian man. We fail from time to time. We don't get it right the Christian life isn't going to be perfect, but I knew this. People often say to me what doesn't make you a better back because your Christian dunces. No, but it makes me a better can as a bank and better able to cope with the hardship that the harsh commercial compromises of the world in which we living not living in some neutral place we living in a place which tough I didn't have to tell any of you listeners about stress they tell me because I know about it and they know about it and you know about it and stresses of 24 seven phenomena and we need to learn to be able to cope with that and I believe that the power of the spirit of God enables us to be able to deal with this continuing stress that we living in, and to find a way in which we can live well in the Manuel so how did you find your why, how is it defined changes over a period of time. You need to find you cooling some of us with cash.

Nothing wrong with that.

I wept for Some of her career.

Nothing wrong with that. I've done that some of the great cools it a great voltage organizational profit as this one is.

But if you did with for cooling if you don't know your cooling you will not very important to get to the stage where you have that deep in a sense, the Jesus Christ is cooled me specifically to a task that he's given me to do and for me to come to the question, it was to be a good backup and a good husband and father. I hope as well, but also to have a twin track of looking in the voltage you will as well for the chats and invincible connect groups in writing books and preaching and teaching, but about everything else. It is that in Christ Jesus.

All things hold together can let me ask you the.

The reason we kind of short change ourselves. When it comes to vocation often times in a meeting with the folks who support this ministry. Sometimes they'll feel. I don't know maybe that they're not is significant because are not working directly in ministry, but they're doing banking there doing oil and gas there doing real estate there doing these vocational things that for them in their own self perception is and is credible. That's not the way to look at this is the sad thing is, what happens is that the cost is in the chats for the reason that I could blame the train pathway will think of the business community is a good mix can't get some money out of them to keep the whole show running the best pasta say look how can we invest in you to recognize that there is one indivisible little below to the money markets is a little messy little profit is a load of crap load of competition is the Lord of compassion.

That is one indivisible, but we can't divide them up and say I will if you go off to do filthy stuff at work and will do clean stuff in the chat with together and we need to help each other to find holdings in life remember making a thank you call for a gift to her focus and the donor couple on the other and the husband said you know, my wife and I appreciate the fact that you run focus effectively and efficiently for us to do ministry through you. At first I went with what he's actually Rhapsody. My goal is to run focus is effectively and efficiently as possible so that people can support the ministry and do ministry through yet a great student. I love a lot of that concept that puts that yes it altogether that the person out of doing the vocational thing earning a living and supporting the church supporting ministries like focus on is that as long as the giver doesn't deal. It is your second toss is not given my money to could possibly go to another nation disjointed well and in Canada comes down to what would you advise somebody in their 20s that wants to do on their passionate show that following God calling in career field in a separate out of the this is really a stress point for my kids and and for generations throughout the world and I've been traveling cool throughout the world.

It is exactly the same. And here's the issue. Never before have we had an aging population that is going to grow much older, while young people I've got so much choice that they totally overwhelmed by the choices we live in a multi-choice world and what is I look back on my career when I had my two maybe three jobs there is nobody in that millennial group that will not have six 1012 different jobs one job. As an entrepreneur and you pivot it into something else. How is it that you can then and this is what we need to help people to do to focus on your cooling now to be fully committed to what you're doing, believing that that's where the load is got you to be whilst at the same time keeping them openness to the spirit leading you to the next difficulty for the generation is this a constant expectation of fire by the fear of missing out a miss out unless I grabbed the next opportunity and rob yourself of enjoying what God is given you to enjoy and to work at emu cooling in your groove right now. What are those practical steps as you're looking for your calling.

How do you map something out to say. Step one step two is it is an analytical age is in part analytical because very biblical, and the Bible is full of very good advice, all of which is recorded in the wonderful book, but for me give you a quick summary of fasting to do is to consider well just consider what the opportunities.

Second, consult with other people who are around you goatskin annual game. When she going for you said clarify the issue tweeted to herself 140 characters. I'm facing a job change, 140 characters. What is the real question because so often we forget what the question is, and model ourselves up and forth, you need courage. Courage to make a decision. Once you've clarified it, and in my experience, particularly for younger people and clarified it just have got the courage to take the next step in this great biblical precedent into the whole fool for us being able to be courageous for notes as Jesus and I've overcome the world. It's his constant tension between preparation and planning and trusting, and I think that's something that that is we hold that in a certain tension definitely what we hold inattention, but it's not unresolved tension.

In other words, if you keep holding things like that intention you do heading.

You just can't cope with it.

It's holding them together on the basis that not everything is disclosed to us immediately waiting.

Jesus is not going to give you the code is Google can't get my Y by googling it because it is a time of seeping the preparation of of actually preparing beforehand, then those tensions once given to God, surrendered to him actually become things we can live with mother than then stuff that just eats.

I can't resolve it and you do just that just eats active what about that situation where your ping-pong meeting and I'm thinking of someone I know who has vacillated between finishing seminary bouncing back into business in it to me as an observer, it's, it's more the waning of passion in between these two destinations so he'll do business for two or three years and then feel not unfulfilled and want to jump back into the direct ministry become a pastor become a missionary. Then that wanes and then they went out and I think a lot of young people in that spot where there there is a vibrating between directions yesterday do for that.

What you do is you've got to take control of your destiny it is to that Jesus Christ is leader and shows us the way.

But he also expects us to take control of a hots on Monza imaginations and not just to be not from one side to another.

So there is a responsibility that rests in taking control of unit you will you will direction rather than being pushed about by whatever the current mood of the current feelings might be in a particular workplace with shots and then just drift and if it doesn't work out I will get traveling. I can remember even before coming to Focus on the Family. I was working in business. I study my last year why Sadie University in Japan. I was totally geared toward doing international business and I felt pretty confident. The Lord was calling me that. And I do an interest in it at a desire and then over a short period of time. Pray for five years or 28.

I got a phone call with focus and then asked if I'd be interested in coming to work here and I can remember talking to this person and they were in the business world but had retired and moved into ministry and I remember him coaching me to say we need good Christian representation in the business world. I would cautiously consider that move, but I would encourage you to stay in the business world. Now obviously made a different decision, but that kind of sound wisdom was helpful to me even sort out the final decision that I made. How critical is that kind of input from a friend or mentor and secondly does God care where I end up, or that I'm serving him where I and I think gold is much more interested in the way in which we approach him. Then when we end up if faith would knowledge it wouldn't be faith. The element of trust is the element of uncertainty. I didn't know how the cause of grateful. I didn't know what's going to be that next. I have to trust him that the decision that I make is the best decision I could've made in the circumstances that were at the time provided. I have been studying the Bible. I prayed with others. I prayed by myself. I've written down the issues that are faced one way or the other. I've used my mind my heart my imagination in so often people say what I'm waiting for God to show me the way. Well, in my experience, he doesn't act like that if he did, why would Eve given us hots and minds and imaginations and strengths and weaknesses and experience. I like this idea of being prepared no matter what, where God plants you get up every day thinking Lord here I am. What can I do and then you apply yourself in that regard. Whether your beta error missionary you just go to work every day working on his behalf seeking to my dad one little think that there are three things that I think makes a huge difference. And that's this is an in that process.

You need to know that you are loved by God that you're known by God and that you cooled by God. You hold those three things together and be loved being none and being cooled. It makes a huge difference.

It sets you free to enjoy the day as it unfolds and can I supersede what you're saying right there all reference my kids and their friends. There is some fear about even that they know God loves them.

Yes, and they know that he's for them, but I have this fear that they can miss the call and I didn't grow up with that call thing what what is that and how is it different than a career or how does that relate to the why of the book will past, but just remember the words of Jesus.

You haven't changed me. I have chosen you and I've chosen you with a particular typist on 50 when he says I've invested in you. I made an investment in you say that you might go and bear fruit fruit that will lost that anxiety of missing suggested I go to be the one to make a hold make my choice and Vita make that choice on getting it wrong. The other way around. Good as himself in Christ cooled us. He has said I will show you the way we need to do is to follow if we follow him we will face him in the way in which they professed to disciples facing the teapots of John's Gospel when Jesus tends to them and says to them what you won't what you want in John one, and he knew that they were following amenity so they were following. He could ask the question what you want, that's a question I would say to your children to mind to anyone listening.

He's listening. What do you want if we if we submit to him, we begin to know why and and here is the piece that I found so helpful if you know your why you find your way in life. If you don't know your why everything else is in the way you stumbled out of the mountains to make the finances out to do so.

I did have the background, education, the training I could never reach this goal.

It's it's it's not for me. It overwhelms you.

But if you know your why somehow those mountains. They took that to be as big as they were as I hear you give those explanations or excuses.

Sounds a bit like Moses when you look at the life of Moses.

Do you think he discovered his why after telling God why he wasn't the guy you remember he said I can go speak to Pharaoh right. I stutter, I can't do this. I'm not that good at it. We do that a lot with the Lord will we do, because at the end of the day. We think we can perfect the deal that he's given us.

We think we know better than he does. But the patience with which go to have dealt with Moses is the thing that I love so much. Okay, I'll give you Erin and I will bring someone alongside you. In the New Testament. I will bring the Holy Spirit to come alongside you to help you when not alone in this quest that is so good, you know, one of the things to as a young person particularly and again were trying to speak on your behalf. The 2037 these are really great principles apply to actually have it. Hopefully after you move through your 30s, you can have some of this figured out, I hope, but not life changes let you know there are different we have to recognize that the stages in life and seasons in life, particularly in the modern world there are seasons in which we will be working for ourselves working for someone else with you and a voltage organization looking for split-second and other careers is to be something one. As a second grid will not sixth and seventh, but there are seasons and we need to discern the seasons and be strong and happy in those seasons. So in that regard. For that again. 2030 something who is trying to discern. Is this a point along a continuum that I've got a find with God. This is exactly what he wants me to do versus maybe the fear that I'll miss it. You know that somehow I'm not can you find the point in which she wants me to gauge how you dress those kind of fears and apprehensions faith when knowledge it wouldn't be faith have to live with risk and the risk is faith.

It's the trust that if I'm learning and hearing. Then I'm going to be able to follow him and he has this. How do you hear God's voice in a noisy world and we had a very noisy smart friends tell us where we will listen to what type of people we its own old time and needs noisy. If you want to hear God's voice in a noisy world you have to take a step to cut some of that noise not to hear him. You can't just think that he's going to intervene in your world intentional making space, cutting it off for a moment. If you do what you do to give yourself space.

Well, I tried pressing the morning is to take time to pray to meditate to reflect to read to take some time out and to build in those moments when you can reflect and go Sunday is very important to take it off can let me ask you this, we tend to equate in our human experience God's blessing, meaning I'm taking care of uncomfortable and therefore I'm in God's will because he's meeting every need and every want that I should have it. I think were particularly susceptible to this in the Western world, certainly here in America don't speak on behalf of England and America were very eccentric and so often we have that equation in her mind speak to the issue where God is totally in your corner, you're in the right spot but your circumstances may not be affirming you in the way that you think they should at such an important such an important issue to meet to be contacted. This way you will and you know your why in and throughout this if you will, the syllabus of your why of your purpose of your cooling you will never know the fulfillment that the New Testament promises to us. It is in and through others pools. As for me to live is Christ for me to live is someone else and however your circumstances, you could have the most menial of the most with wild employment. Whatever it is you need to be able to look at what you doing in and through the way in which you were experiencing it through others through voluntary work through the work that you're doing was filled with your money with your resources with your time with your energy so that it's not just that the world moves about whenever I happen to be, but it is in a community and that's why the church is such an important powerful tool for goods reaching the world around us and you will know you well. I in and through your interactions with other people. People need to get your book and nobody will know your why I mean for me, especially dad of two teenagers can't start early enough talking about these things.

Everything we discussed today not to let your circumstances dictate your joy in Christ to be prepared and to seek the Lord every day to say what can I do today Lord for you and to be content. The difficulty is that if you've got you your smart phone is the source of revelation.

It will reveal everything to including your weight is so when I stepped everything tells me my why, if a generation that will constantly seek the schools will always be unsatisfied because you can never get to a full state of contentment. What I didn't mean to add often the fools these how do you know during the center of the hope of God's will for you is that contentment can tip the peace that passes all understanding, will come upon this one of the best questions as somebody who doesn't know the Lord who you can see is struggling there.

They don't have peace that have shalom and you simply say art are you content with your life is to be happy. Correct. I think you need to know your wise and to make you happy every day because it's hard work. Knowing your why you go to get up in the morning to do the work that go to school GTD. Sometimes it's tough to deal with difficult neighbors with the neighbor from hell. You can still give us a call for driving you cool place and this is terrific, and I would encourage everyone listening to get a copy of know your why in here. Focus will make that available to you for a gift of any amount. It's our way of saying thank you, when you support the ministry if Ken afforded policy will send you the book. Don't worry. Other supporters will make up the difference. I'm quite sure and if you can help us in that way, please do so. This is the way that we minister together to people and that can just simply terrific to have you.

Thank you very much for both of you. And if I might just end this by saying if you know your why help others to find us and if you don't know your why the spirit of the Lord Jesus that help you guide but remember love cooled by what a terrific reminder from Ken Costa and I do hope that this is hit you as a listener right in the heart. Call us to get a copy of Ken's book or CD of our conversation for yourself for me to share with your son last as long as somebody who needs to know their why our number is 800 K work-family 1-800-232-6459 we'll find all the details of the half of Jim Daly and the entire team. Thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller inviting you back once again help you and your family right here asking people how they can both give and I don't know. Maybe. Love you both give and get love that it's also possible that the charitable gift annuity you get a secure source and fixed income and charitable tax giving a charitable gift annuity to focus on family help families thrive for generations to come. Find out more planned giving.com is planned giving.com