PURPOSE GOD’S WAY- How do you Pursue Purpose and Partner with God

What is your purpose in life? How do you find it? These are questions that many of us grapple with throughout our lives. In this podcast episode, we delve into the complex concept of purpose, exploring it through personal experiences, societal pressures, and biblical narratives.

We begin the conversation by reflecting on our own journeys of purpose discovery. My guest, Maggie, candidly shares how she felt lost for a while, not knowing how to pursue her purpose or even recognizing when a season in her life had changed. I share my experiences of being raised with intention, which gave me the ability to navigate life after school. We also discuss societal changes and the pressures that African parents often put on their children to pursue certain careers, which can deter them from their true path.

The conversation takes an interesting turn as we challenge the prevalent African belief that spirituality and professional life should remain separate entities. We explore the example of the biblical figure Daniel, who served God in his secular job. This concept of integrating spirituality within our work life challenges traditional views, but we believe that these roles can be a stepping stone towards fulfilling our purpose.

One of the highlights of this episode is our discussion about the influential role of parents in shaping their children's sense of purpose. We explore how parents can create an atmosphere of exploration, allowing their children to discover their abilities and gifts. This involves acknowledging unconventional careers, like photography or music, as legitimate paths to purpose. 

Parents play a significant role in guiding their children towards their purpose. This is not just about supporting them in their interests but also partnering with God to reveal their unique gifts and calling. Through prayer and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, parents can lead their children in the direction they should go.

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:09

Hi I am joined by my friend Maggie, and today we just want to talk about purpose. What is purpose? How do you pursue purpose? How do you walk in your purpose? And also just a few stories from the Bible in terms of purpose, yeah, and then probably just share our life experiences. Are we walking in purpose? Did we know our purpose? Did you know your purpose, maggie?

Speaker 1: 0:36

No, not for the longest time. How?

Speaker 2: 0:38

come I was very lost.

Speaker 1: 0:42

I think I didn't have enough information on how to pursue it and how to know, especially the seasons, season changing, recognizing that a season has changed, and what I need to do, pairing for purpose. That was information and I think I didn't really put into place. And then, having met you, mercy, and seeing how organized and visual goods and things that you are realizing, I still know nothing. No, no, no, no. This life is a walking progress. You learn, you learn, you learn every day.

Speaker 2: 1:17

I gotta go back and begin again. Yeah, no, we learn, we learn. I think we learn every day. So for myself, my parents are very intentional in terms of bringing me up with a voice, I mean with the ability to know that after school you needed to do this, and then do this, and then do this, and then do the other than rules from here on end.

Speaker 1: 1:45

And I guess that helped.

Speaker 2: 1:47

Okay, did I always know what I wanted? No, I liked what is flashy, what is trendy and what you see others like in your estate as you grow up. So you will see the air hostess and you're like, yeah, I want to be an air hostess.

Speaker 2: 2:04

And tomorrow you'll see the actor and they're looking all nice with nice clothes, and I said I want to be an actor, and then so on and so on, and then you discover along your path, as you pursue campus and as you pursue life, that it's not the path that God wanted. And so the question is always what is purpose? How can you know your purpose and how can you pursue your purpose?

Speaker 1: 2:32

Yeah, I think, yeah, a good question. I think I hope that you'll also cover, as you're speaking about, this is the place for the African parent, because, as we were growing up, you know, there was the five, the big five the doctor, the lawyer, the accountant, the teacher you know, and so somehow they seemed to only look at their kids in that you know frame and also what will bring money, immediate money, and so I'd love for you to also cover that.

Speaker 1: 3:05

Like, how do you, as a now parent, knowing maybe what we know now, how do you get your?

Speaker 2: 3:10

children.

Speaker 1: 3:11

And also the trends, the society where we are at the trends.

Speaker 2: 3:13

totally, totally. Yeah, photography pays. Now Music does do so before. You used to be asked what is that Exactly? A social awareness? Yeah, so it's very interesting.

Speaker 2: 3:27

So maybe, to just look at a high level, perhaps, maybe the definition of purpose, it is the reason for which something is done or created, or for which something does exist. That is the purpose, and I think the most basic is a cup, a military created to carry water and to help you drink with it. But now, when you apply it to human life, the question is always what is the purpose of? How do you know what God made you to do? Yeah, we go through life seasons You're born, you grow up, you go to school, you do one, two, three things. So how do you know where you ought to be? You're a teacher, now. Have you always wanted to be a teacher? You're a doctor, now. Was it clear to you from day one what you wanted to be? And I guess then it helps. And then the other question is always so how can one know their purpose, monkey? So how did you know? You say you were not always aware of it. So how did you come to the point of knowing your purpose?

Speaker 1: 4:37

I think one of the ways was I kept being thrown into certain roles. When I was in primary school, when I went to high school, I seemed to be in certain places, so was mainly to do with the creative Space. So I was always in music acting or speech contests or debates or that kind of thing. So, interestingly, after, after primary school, just when we were about done, we had a big age group that was all in music and art, you know, related stuff, and so we kept practicing. You know it was practice, and for us home, home, was church. We spent all our time there. And so went to high school and, yes, event ended up in the music world. But wasn't, you know, it wasn't what my parents wanted. You know, it was one of those. It's too iffy. We can't really tell at what point you'll become stable. Yes, so there's kind of a fight about that, you know. But my mom was very supportive and, yeah, ended up, that gift is what opened doors, and so I got to go out study some more and, yes, I did not feel.

Speaker 2: 5:52

I think for me it was more the ability to be able to do administrative roles, operational roles, very well, very systematic. Even in how I think, in how I execute things, everything has to just follow a certain order. So the ability to be able to do that and to even pursue a role that enabled me to do that.

Speaker 1: 6:15

So you were nurtured even in your upbringing. Yes, so pretty much play this role.

Speaker 2: 6:19

Yes and then. So, even in terms of seeking a career, was my path always clear? No, okay, I had to do many roles to know what I really loved and what brought out the best out of me and what made me wake up every morning to go to work. Yeah. So, and then, in the course of that is when I received salvation and I got deeper understanding, through discipleship in church, in terms of what is purpose, like truly, truly. What is purpose? Like you just go around doing things and you think it's okay, so what is purpose? Yeah, and so now I'm just trying to align myself into that purpose, align myself into what God wants me to do.

Speaker 1: 7:16

Do you have someone who called out your purpose, so someone who was seeing it and calling it out or encouraging it, I think at the workplace.

Speaker 2: 7:26

That plays a lot in terms of your skill set, so you're very good at certain things and so somebody is able to pick that out. Yeah, and then put you, promote, you, put you in charge of teams and you're able to lead, and all that. Yes, I did.

Speaker 1: 7:43

So maybe someone would ask you yeah, I must have been young a your founding church. How come your purpose is not in charge? That your purpose once you get saved? Now you're First.

Speaker 2: 8:02

Interesting, by the way. For very, very long we were taught and we thought and we knew that church was for Sunday, right. And then it's either you're called to full-time ministry so you become a pastor and you go, and you just sign up to be a pastor and you're a pastor throughout, and the rest of the jobs. I don't know what they are, but as I guess, as we have matured in the things of God, we then come to realize that even where you work, you can be a pastor in your office. Even where you work is purpose, even where you work is church. And I think the best example that then has brought this out is Daniel. We see Daniel working for the king, then we see him investing in learning the Lord, and then we see him now serving as a governor and we see him being in charge of people. So that has brought this entire demystifying of what religion and Christianity is all about.

Speaker 2: 9:12

I believe that working in church I mean working at the workplace or in the marketplace, as it's popularly referred to you influence. So there are many people who don't go to church. So, by virtue of the fact that I go to church, I can listen to someone and it's great and I'll share it in my office with people, and they will actually pick the lessons and learn and change and be influenced and be drawn to God, as opposed to me now quitting my marketplace day job to now go and serve in a place that God hasn't called me to. But I also think that within the African setup, we did not have this understanding. No, we did not. And so you find that most of us work, then retire, and then, upon retirement, is when now you serve God.

Speaker 1: 10:05

Exactly, that's actually the thought behind it. Your secular job is secular and apart from God yes, and apart from purpose and apart from God using it in any kind of way yes.

Speaker 2: 10:19

But come to think of it, god has said that he will bless the works of our hands, right, and so we wake up in the morning, go to work, earn an income, and that is the same income that we then use to bless the less fortunate, the orphans, the widows, the people who are sick, and all that, and even the best part, is applying what you've learned in church on Sunday.

Speaker 2: 10:42

Then your pastor says go and pray in your office. Then you actually go and pray in your office for that bad boss of yours and they actually become a good boss. So you begin to be able to see the transformative power of the gospel at the workplace, which is actually where you spend the most of your time. I believe that at the workplace, at the marketplace, god will still use you and he will give you dreams and visions on how to be able to work, work with others, execute projects, programs that will benefit the society at large. So, based off of your upbringing from the point of your parents didn't understand the creative world, music and all that. To you, knowing and understanding purpose now more from a godly perspective. Do you nurture your kids towards that understanding as they grow? And maybe you can just speak a little bit more into that.

Speaker 1: 11:35

Yeah, it's a work in progress. I would say, especially getting intentional about raising these children in the way that God created them. So I've studied early childhood and they really speak about the leanings of a child, that a child is born with certain leanings, and we see that clearly when you look at Isso and his brother, because you could see the leanings are different. One became a farmer and one automatically became a hunter. They were not gifted equally, even though they were raised within the same time duration into the same family.

Speaker 1: 12:10

And so these children come and they are, might even look alike, might be twins, but they are so differently wired and their leanings and their strengths are very different. And so what my husband and I have done is try and really throw them into many activities and then try and see what is it that they are excelling in and try and push that in them. We have one particular one who excels in certain things but is very it's not encouraged to run after them. He doesn't like to pursue them. Yeah, so now our work now becomes look, there is clearly, there is something within you that causes you to excel in this area.

Speaker 1: 12:48

And now our work is to gently push and nudge them, calling out the gift, calling out the purpose. Encourage them to pursue it. Because again, if we say, if we agree with them and say, yeah, you're good at it, but yeah, you don't feel like doing it, so you know we're going to let it go, Then we're not doing our part in helping him push through the difficulty of consistency in it.

Speaker 2: 13:13

And I guess it's that's like the role of the parents to just call out the giftings inside of a child and align them to purpose, even if they're not in the mood or they don't even understand what it is all about.

Speaker 1: 13:23

They don't even understand and the Bible tells us train up a child in the way they should go, and when they're older they'll not depart from it. And the training is that it's noting the giftings that God already put and the leanings that God already put within that child and then beginning to raise them in it, and when they're older, they will not depart from the place. That was their strength and their purpose.

Speaker 2: 13:47

Amazing. You've actually reminded me when I was growing up. We used to read, we used to have reading time.

Speaker 1: 13:53

That was boring.

Speaker 2: 13:54

But to look to first forward, present day I'm an author. Wow, look at that I mean it was just in the path of what I'd then have to achieve At that time, man.

Speaker 1: 14:08

Wow, yeah, but those are boring.

Speaker 2: 14:11

Being called out from playing to come and read, yeah, but I think God, today I'm like yeah, I have the diligence to be able to do research, to be able to put my thoughts together, to be coherent in terms of how I put my thoughts down, and, yeah, and I can say it has helped me. Oh, look at that. So, as your kids are growing is when you see their papa said you try and align them right. Also, pray into it.

Speaker 1: 14:38

Because what I see is not enough. Exactly so. There's a God in heaven. The Bible says that he knew them from the foundations of the earth. He knitted them in the mother's womb. He knew them he chose them. The Bible says he wrote all their days, whereas yet there were none. So if there were days written, then there is something.

Speaker 1: 14:57

there's something that God already ordered, Preordained to be fore, yes, and then we also told that we are the workmanship of God, you know to walk in the good works that were prepared beforehand, and so, then, ours is also to partner with God and the Holy Spirit and to ask Him to lead us and to give us wisdom to lead them in the way they should go.

Speaker 2: 15:20

And, I think, for parents out there. I think that's a very good prayer point and I'm thinking, maggie, let's pray. Ok, yeah, let's pray for parents and, as a parent, if you're connecting anywhere to pray, to pray about these things, because sometimes my people perish. The word of God says my people perish for lack of knowledge. You simply do not know how to partner with God, and how to partner with God is to pray. Best of all, what Maggie has said, we'd like to take that into prayer and, as a parent, you can agree with it. You can pray and continue to partner with God.

Speaker 1: 15:55

So, yeah, I think before I pray, I'd like to also point out some 78.

Speaker 1: 16:00

From bus 1 to 8. Yeah, 1 to 5. It's such a clear clarion call to the parent regarding raising children and it says my people hear my teaching, listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable. I will utter hidden things. So some things that he did things from, of old things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants. We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done.

Speaker 1: 16:35

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children. So the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commandments. I find this particular focus to us to speak to our descendants a very strong point. And yeah, let's pray, I guess, even with this in mind. Yeah, father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for every parent that is listening. We thank you, father, that you are the one that orders our steps, and so we purposefully, even now, align our steps so that, lord, we are working in the same pace as you, lord, as regards the raising of our children, lord, that our mindset regarding their, their purpose as Lord, is might not be enough to get them to where you desire.

Speaker 1: 17:38

Your word says that you knew them. You need them in their mother's womb. Your word says that all their days were written, while as yet there were none. And, father, having written all their days, lord, then we are asking for your wisdom, even now, to begin to purposefully walk and partner with your Holy Spirit so that Holy Spirit would lead and guide us in the wisdom that we need to turn this children to face, the direction they need to face to, and that they would walk, lord, in tandem with you. They would walk in pace with you, raising this children to become all that you call them to be, so that they would affect the generations as you desired. And so, father, we ask Lord for your wisdom. Now. We ask Lord for your wisdom of our parents, of our guardians, of our grandparents that know you. I thought, lord, they would be part of the those praying, those prayers that are intentional, so that this children would walk in the paths that you call them to. We love you, lord, you're gracious, you're merciful. In Jesus name, we pray Amen, amen. Amen.