554: Purpose Thoughts

The last two weeks we have looked at Purpose Food and Purpose Prayer. It seems only fitting that I write one more entry to complete this trinity of purpose insights, so purpose thoughts seems just as good as any.  Let me share some of my latest purpose thoughts with you in random order of importance.

THE THOUGHTS

1. Purpose is more relevant than when I began teaching it 20 years ago. Why?  Because there are more opportunities available today than back then. When there are so many things you can do, you must ask the question what it is that you should do more than ever.
2. The number one reason why more people don't know their purpose is because they don't ask and keep on asking until they get an answer.
3. The number two reason why more people don't know their purpose is because they try to figure out too quickly how they can make money from it. Thoughts about career, salary and benefits hinder or destroy emerging purpose thoughts.
4. The number three reason why more people don't know their purpose is because they are afraid, not of failure, but of success!  Meditate on that for a moment.
5. The younger generation is not as interested in purpose as I would have thought.  They are interested in service and meaning, which emanate from purpose.  But because they have seen purpose kidnapped by salary and career interests, they react to the concept of purpose for the wrong reasons.
6. Women continue to be the main consumers of my purpose message, probably because purpose was denied them for so long.
7. I still maintain that motherhood is a role and not a purpose - seldom is anyone's purpose defined in terms of serving or helping another person exclusively, unless that person has special needs due to a physical or mental challenge.
8. It is never too early or too late in life to pursue purpose.
9. When I reached my 50s, I thought my development was pretty much over, that I would do what I had been doing, hopefully a little better or for more money.  To my surprise, my 50s were my greatest growth years.
10. I get more questions and sometimes opposition when I teach about doing what you love and what gives you joy than anything else I teach.  That always surprises me.
11. When I started teaching purpose, I thought every church in the world (well, at least in the U.S.) would want their people to hear that message.  They have not and pastors continue to misunderstand and even oppose the purpose message.
12. If I could help churches get more volunteers to usher, work in the nursey or sing in the choir, I would be a busy and probably wealthy man.

YOUR THOUGHTS

Those are my thoughts where purpose is concerned. What are yours?  Feel free to send me your purpose thoughts this week and I will add them to mine and publish them next week. You can send them to me at johnstanko@gmail.com or post them to the site where this entry is posted. Have a great week!

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KENYA LIBRARY UPDATE:  Pastor Peter picked up the books and they are in Banana! You can read his report and see more pictures here. We will need to give them some additional finances to complete the project, as you can read in Peter's update. You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

 

Comments

[judy michael]

Thoughts: Sometimes I feel discouraged that I am not doing anything in an area that I believe is in my purpose. Working in my purpose envelops a number of tasks or projects, not all addressed at any one time and always developing.

[Jamie Harvill]

Once again John, you delivered! I was intrigued by #3 as it is a temptation to do just what you mentioned: to try and figure out the money angle--which, as you said, can be a purpose killer!

[Dale Harper]

Thank you updating and sending me your thoughts. I am learning to listen more and more to your thoughts. They are many and needed. I commit this morning to pray daily for God's purpose for Valerie and myself. How glorious to have a life-partner working for God's Kingdom. Behind every good man is a great woman. God bless. The picture of Peter is so great. I am glad I am aware of the situation and will continue to pray and give as God leads.