“Pastor, is it possible to discover my purpose in life without observing my talents or gifts? Because I’ve been observing my talents for years now and I still don’t know my purpose”

Observing your gifts is actually a fail-safe approach to finding your purpose. As Christians, we have more sure and excellent ways of finding or discovering purpose.

It’s important to establish that every single child that was born into this world was born with a message from God to the world. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding their birth, no child is an accident. Jeremiah’s experience made it clear that God predestined us even before conception. Let’s read what it says:

Jeremiah 1:
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

That’s right! Your mother may have conceived you in her womb and given birth to you physically, but in the spirit, God gave birth to you as His messenger to the world. You are the messenger of God’s plan.

God’s plan for the world is what gives birth to man’s purpose in the world. I read a beautiful scenario from Dr Isaiah Wealth’s book regarding this, let me share it here:

Imagine that a man has a vision to write a book, and then he buys a computer and employs a typist to type the book. The vision of the man to write a book is what gave birth to the purpose of the typist, which is to type the book. Based on an agreed plan, the man and the typist begins to work together. But if the typist starts typing whatsoever he likes, regardless of the original manuscript laid out by the supposed author, he would no longer be working according to the plan and would consequently affect the vision of the man – who can no longer write the book.

The same is true for God’s vision in collaboration with your purpose. You cannot create your own purpose because you did not create yourself, the One who made you already determined why He made you. He is your owner, and according to Revelations 4:11, He created us for His pleasure. This is why you can’t do anything you like; you have to do what pleases Him, which is to walk in your purpose.

Asides observing your gifts, one of the ways you can discover your purpose is to observe those things you place value on. A purpose-driven person would always have set of values he lives by. For example, a singer would value certain meals more than others because he is very careful about his throat which is the determinant of his voice texture. A boxer on the other hand, is not careful about his throat because he does not need his voice. His hands and his weight are most valuable to him. While the purpose of one is to sing, the purpose of the other is to fight.

In John chapter 11, Jesus motioned to his disciples to go to Judaea to preach, yet it was the same Judaea that they sought to stone him. He didn’t care about his life as far as fulfilling his purpose was concerned. Preaching the good news was more valuable than even his life. The same thing was said of Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 21, a prophecy of death was given to him, yet he told them he was ready to die for his purpose. What do you place great value on? What is that thing that would make you feel lifeless if you abandon it?

As I mentioned earlier, all of those are fail-safe strategies to discovering purpose. Let me show you more excellent ways:

1. Through visions

God can unveil your purpose through a vision. However, you must be aware that visions are in levels. There’s inner vision, open vision, a trance, and a dream.

A trance is a short sudden sleep where much information is communicated to you within a short time. When this happens to you, you’d lose consciousness of your environment for that moment. In Acts 10:1-16, Peter had a trance that unveiled something he had to do in Cornelius’ house.

Just as God unveiled His plan to Peter through a trance, He can unveil your purpose to you through a trance.

An inner vision is a vision you see with your mind’s eye. When you have an inner vision, you hear or see something inside of you even though you are not sleeping like in a trance. This was how I discovered my purpose. I was even having a conversation with someone when I suddenly started hearing and seeing things from my inside. I immediately withdrew from the conversation because I felt submerged by what was happening inside me. Unlike a trance, I knew where I was, but I just didn’t care. When I sat down to write what I was hearing and seeing inside me, it took two A4 papers.

The great TL Osborn said he was in a program where the minister was laying hands on the sick and the people were getting healed. Suddenly, he could see himself doing the same thing. In the same vision, he heard a thousand voices saying to him, “You can do the same thing”. That’s how his healing ministry began.

In an Open vision, you are fully conscious of yourself, yet you are in the spirit. It’s almost as though a video clip is being played in front of you. It was an open vision that Cornelius saw in Acts chapter 10.

While you may not be able to force God to show you a vision, being aware that He can unveil your purpose to you through visions makes it easier for you.

2. Through a revelation

God can open your understanding about a scripture or a particular thing because He wants to use you in that direction. He can give you an idea because He wants to use you to propagate it. If you’ve ever received a revelation from scriptures that also unveiled something you should do, then you may have found your purpose without knowing.

According to Apostle Paul, the revelation of God’s word is able to both build us up and give us our inheritance or purpose in the kingdom of God.

This is why I admonish Christians to take studying the scriptures seriously. Even our Jesus got a revelation of His assignment as He read. The more you read, the more revelations you’re likely to get. And the more revelations you get, the faster your chances of discovering purpose.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!

#EmekaAnslem