Purpose. Plan. People.
I really want to focus on these three Ps.
Purpose
I think purpose is a driving force in our life. To me, living with purpose is to have a reason WHY we do everything that we do. Without it, I feel aimless.
Looking harder at the idea of “purpose” or “mission” I realize that God operates with immense purpose, too. He doesn’t make mistakes. He is working.
I think it’s a good idea to jump on board with what God is up to, so I want to be aligned with God’s purpose in all my ways.
Plan
If I have a destination to get to, I probably want some kind of method to guide me–directions, a map, compass, GPS, or what have you.
Right?
So, if I have a sense of purpose to drive me, then it would be smart to have a plan to get there.
Plans are helpful for me in all areas–a plan to spend my time wisely, a plan to cultivate good thought patterns, a plan to nourish myself spiritually, a plan to grow in relationships, a plan to fuel my body on a bike ride…
Some of my plans are more well-developed and practiced than others, and some get re-routed or deleted entirely, but I’m learning that what gets planned gets addressed. What doesn’t get planned typically gets neglected.
I believe that God uses plans, too; and that He chooses to include people in His plans to accomplish His purpose. We get to participate with what He’s up to in the world and in us.
People
I want my life to reflect that people matter. To God. To me.
People matter because God made them and He loves each one incomprehensibly. Therefore, I think that people should matter to me, too.
How do I live like people really do matter?
I think that this comes down to individual relationships. I cannot possibly know and care about each human being in all eternity, but I can seek to understand and care deeply for the human sitting/walking/driving/speaking right in front of me in this moment. I can listen to; I can bake for; I can help do; I can be with…
What’s your purpose? Do you have a plan?
It seems really simple written down in two sentences, but a lot of times I find myself stumbling around with no plan.
Maybe I’m assuming I’ll stumble upon my destination, my purpose, by some Irish luck (I’m somewhat Irish).
Maybe I’ve taken my eyes off my purpose entirely, distracted by the noise and cares of modern life, and need some reminding that there’s work to be done.
I’m still here on this earth at this time, so I still have purpose here and now.
In connecting these three P concepts, I found this excerpt from Bob Goff’s “Love Does” to be quite fitting:
We’re God’s plan, and we always have been. We aren’t just supposed to be observers, listeners, or have a bunch of opinions. We’re not here to let everyone know what we agree and don’t agree with, because, frankly, who cares? Tell me about the God you love; tell me about what He has inspired uniquely in you; tell me about what you’re going to do about it, and a plan for your life will be pretty easy to figure out from there. I guess what I’m saying is that most of us don’t get an audible plan for our lives. It’s way better than that. We get to be God’s plan for the whole world by pointing people toward Him.
