All Series > Will & Purpose > Part 5
Purpose in Life
(Series 1, Part 5, Teaching #5)
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Purpose In Life
Your purpose in life is not something you need to search for like a lifelong treasure hunt. No—your purpose has already been planted within:
To seek to glorify God in all you do by pursuing a virtuous life.
This is the one pursuit that sanctifies all others.
God will place in your path a companion to love, a vocation to serve, people to impact, trials to endure, and goals to strive toward. But these are not the purpose itself—they are the means by which your purpose is lived out. You need not grow impatient with the circumstances, but trust that “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Your task is not to question the journey, but to glorify God along the journey.
The secret to fulfillment is not discovering your hidden calling—it’s faithfully fulfilling God’s calling. Those who pursue self eventually find emptiness at the end of every road. But those who pursue God—no matter what road they take—find fulfillment at every turn.
The modern world tells you to “find yourself,” to chase personal expression, comfort, and recognition. But the soul was not designed to orbit the self. A life centered on self bends inward and collapses. A life centered on God expands outward and becomes radiant. The difference between emptiness and fulfillment is not achievement—it is alignment with God’s will.
“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve Him in this life and be happy with Him forever” (St. Ignatius of Loyola). This is the calling of every soul. This is the calling of your soul.
So lace up the shoes of your character. Fire up the spirit of your soul. Let your heart be set ablaze with holy ambition. Never forgetting that the virtuous one pursues a virtuous life not for their own sake, but for God’s sake. For God is not glorified by your works, but by your willful submission to and union with His divine will—unlocking the power of the Holy Spirit within you to work through you.
This is the mystery of fulfillment: when you let go of self, the Holy Spirit takes hold. And when the Spirit moves freely through a soul lifted in virtue, grace flows—powerfully, beautifully, virtuously. You become a vessel through which God shines. You become who you were made to be.
So walk the narrow path. Choose virtue over ease. Wherever you are right now—confused or confident, weary or hopeful—you are not behind. The call is not to start over somewhere else, but to begin right here. From this moment forward, seek God’s glory in every task. For this is your purpose. And when you live for that purpose, you will never live in vain.
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Related Scripture
“We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28 (GNT)
“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” — Isaiah 43:7 (NRSVue)
“He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began.” — 2 Timothy 1:9 (NABRE)
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” — Revelation 4:11 (NRSVue)
“God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.” — Ephesians 2:10 (GNT)
“Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a first installment.” — 2 Corinthians 5:5 (NABRE)
“And the world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.” — 1 John 2:17 (GNT)
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” — Psalm 150:6 (NRSVue)
“Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison.” — Hebrews 12:14-15 (GNT)
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for that is the whole duty of everyone.” — Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NRSVue)
“Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.” — Colossians 3:17 (GNT)
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” — 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NRSVue)
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16 (NRSVue)
Related Quotes
“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola
“Purpose ... is held to be most closely connected with virtue, and to be a better token of our character than are even our acts.” — Aristotle
“To lose ourselves in God is simply to give up our own will to Him. When a soul can truly say Lord I have no other will than Thine it is truly lost in God and united to Him.” — St. Francis de Sales
“It should be observed that perfect love of God consists...in a strong determination and keen desire to please God in all things, and to promote His glory.” — St. Teresa of Avila
“Everything we do should glorify God!” — Billy Graham
“We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not ... What we call the process God calls the end. His purpose is that I depend on Him and His power NOW. It is the process, not the end that is glorifying to God.” — Oswald Chambers
“Man's true end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever.” — Arnold J. Toynbee
“I don't believe there is one great thing I was made to do in this world. I believe there is one great God I was made to glorify. And there will be many ways, even a million little ways, I will declare his glory with my life.” — Emily P. Freeman
“I cannot at the same time accept the glory and give God the glory ... Glorifying God means being occupied with and committed to His ways rather than preoccupied with and determined my own way. It is being so thrilled with Him, so devoted to Him, so committed to Him that we cannot get enough of Him!” — Charles R. Swindoll
“It concerns us to know the purposes we seek in life, for then, like archers aiming at a definite mark, we shall be more likely to attain what we want.” — Aristotle
“But your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome.” — William Paul Young
“Remember our words, then, and whatever is your aim let virtue be the condition of the attainment of your aim, and know that without this all possessions and pursuits are dishonourable and evil.” — Plato
“A Christian should always remember that the value of his good works is not based on their number and excellence, but on the love of God which prompts him to do these things.” — John of the Cross
“If God gives you a few more years, remember, it is not yours. Your time must honor God, your home must honor God, your activity must honor God, and everything you do must honor God.” — A.W. Tozer
“My good Jesus, give me the grace to love you with all my heart and to serve you with great fidelity in this life so that I can be a grain of sand to build up your glory for all eternity.” — St. Mother Cabrini
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