Four Elements to Living a God-Intended Life
God calls believers to influence and make a positive difference on those around us. His desire is for us to live out the great commission, which says,
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
I have found four elements to living a God-intended life that leads to having an impact for the Kingdom of God:
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Identify your purpose
Purpose is defined as “the reason for which something exists” (Dictionary.com). God created us with a specific and unique purpose. Pastor Rick Warren said,
“If you’re alive, there’s a purpose for your life.”
It’s our responsibility to find what we have been called to. To identify your purpose I suggest:
- Pray, ask, and allow God to guide you toward your life purpose.
- Find and work in areas of passions and personal talents.
- Start serving and getting involved at your local church.
Discover your talents
It’s essential to find, develop, and use our personal talents. I have found discovering your personal talents can be a process that takes time and effort. It takes looking inward and using your experiences to find the areas you’re naturally talented at. I recommend reading Strength-based Leadership by Tom Rath to help you find and confirm your personal talents.
Ignite your passions
Christian Theologian John Wesley said something intriguing about passion:
“When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn.”
Passion sets a person on fire and creates influence with those around us (that’s worth a tweet). God has given us different desires and passions. The important thing is to use our passion for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. For example my passion is to write and speak on leadership so people can become better and reach their potential. In doing this, my passion (alongside my purpose and talents) is allowing me to make a positive impact for God.
Grow toward your potential
To live a God-intended life which produces fruit we need to be moving toward our potential by intentionally engaging in our personal and spiritual growth. Hebrews 6:1 says,
“Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity” (AMP).
To become and maintain our maturity in Christ requires us to be always growing and learning. We can grow and learn by reading and studying the Bible, reading growth books, attending conferences, be mentored, and foster relationships with other believers.
Question: What are some other elements to living a God-intended life? Share your view in the comment box.
About Dan Black
Dan writes at DanBlackonLeadership.com. His purpose and passion is to help people in leadership and pastoral roles reach their potential. You can connect with him on Twitter and get a free leadership quote book by clicking here.
About Joseph Iregbu
From a homeless, near-school-dropout to living a story worth telling. Purpose is my passion. What's your story?
Another excellent post Dan. I think the key to anything we attempt in the Kingdom of God is intentionality! We have to live our lives with it. “Seek first the kingdom” speaks of being intentional – dropping everything aside and living life with laser-like focus. God reveals destiny to those that go after it! I have found having only one hand, that I have had to focus in order to attain what I wanted. It may have been natural for someone else but for me it required that I get intentional about what I wanted. Great thoughts Dan! Thanks I always enjoy reading your stuff.
Awesome! Really touched by this. Thanks Darin for sharing and visiting my blog. Dan’s post speaks volumes to our hearts.
Thanks Joseph. I am enjoying your blog. Excited about staying connected.
Thanks Darin.
I agree Darin. It’s first about serving and seeking God. Thank you for reading and your support. Have a great day!
I like the list. I believe that the study and seeking of God will reveal clearly the passion and purpose for our lives. All else seems to fall into place when we have the proper priorities of God in our lives first. Unfortunately most of us tend to let the gifts and strengths from God get in our way of pursuing Him… which never seems to work too well. We must worship the Provider not the provision first. Nice job, Dan.
“Worship the Provider, not the provision” – a timely reminder. Thanks Floyd.
AMEN Floyd. Thanks for adding to the discussion.
I especially like the quote about passion by John Wesley. Dan B. has a knack for finding and sharing great quotes.
One thing that I think God intends is that we focus on individual devotion and passion. Sometimes I feel like many people are just following the crowd and going through the motions. Heck, sometimes I feel that way myself.
I also like that one a lot. Thanks man:)
Good point Dan. Thank you for sharing it.
When I lived in Chicago I met with three other guys to go deep into bible study, accountability, etc…it was a huge growth opportunity. That group is one of the big things I miss since my latest move to Ohio. We have to be in fellowship with other believers holding us accountable to grow (Heb 10:24-25).
Accountability is often overlooked but absolutely crucial to living the God-intended life. Thanks Tom and really liked your blog I subscribed 🙂
What a essential point Tom. Accountability is a must in order to grow. Thank you for mentioning it.
Discipling. Or “making disciples.”
That is what takes us from “believer” which is a good start and a necessary component to truly following Christ.
Making disciples is hard and requires us to get out of our comfort zones (i.e. our church, Christian school, small groups, etc.). But it is what God called us to do.
Agree! That’s our calling. Thanks Matt.
Great point Matt. Making Disciples should be the fruit of our labor. Thank you for reading and sharing.
Sharing and providing ways for others to serve.
This brings out a great opportunity for churches. I gave my first lesson (all 5 minutes) when I was 13 at a church. I was invited to “men’s” breakfast, allowed to lead prayer, read scripture, and serve in a variety of ways. A lot of what I see as my passions now were laid at a young age. Grown men and women took time out of their lives to encourage and teach me. They shared experience with me, and invited me to serve along side of them. Those lessons, and that attitude to still reverberate in my mind.
This is so amazing. I definitely relate so well to your experience. My life was partly shaped by those opportunities to serve at a young age. Thanks for sharing.
I relate with both of you. When I was in my teens and early young adult age I had people who mentored me and allowed me to lead.
Another element I have found to living a God intended life is to embrace your short comings. Those short comings keep us humble and humility is an attribute that God honors. Even Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, had short comings and a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble. James 4:10, “Humble yourselves (feeling very insignificant) in the presence of The Lord, and He will exalt you (He will lift you up and make your life significant). (AMP)”
Great point and example Chris. Humility is an essential characteristic of a Christian. Thank you for taking the time to add to the conversation.
Finding your talents is what sticks out to me in this post. That’s so crucial. That helps us find out more about how God made us – and therefore how we can be more effective. And our talents are also areas of passion for us, so the two are certainly related.
I agree Loren. The story of the talents in Matthew 25 is a great example of the importance of being a steward of our talents. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Very true Loren. Well said.