Recognize the weight of your purpose.

“Watch out for yourselves, and for all the flock in which the Ruach HaKodesh has placed you as leaders, to shepherd God’s Messianic community, which he won for himself at the cost of his own Son’s blood.”

- Acts 20:28 (Complete Jewish Bible)

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So in September I got clear for the first time what my purpose is in the Body of Christ (which is basically to help us stay saturated so we stop getting our butts kicked so much). I’ve known my strongest spiritual gift for years (teaching) but it was the mindset shift about how building God’s Kingdom is primarily about loving on God’s people that brought my purpose into full view for me. It’s clear to me now that the best way I can love on people is by giving them the best gift I have to give them; that’s my best form of “love” to give.

I now believe your purpose is found at the intersection of your highest gifting / talent / genius and how you use it to love people.

Obviously there are tons of frameworks people have identified to help you find your purpose so I’m not claiming this to be the only way, but this has helped me so much that I hope it also helps you get closer to yours if you’ve been struggling in this area!

The other thing God has been drilling into my psyche lately that goes hand in hand with finding your purpose is understanding the weight of responsibility associated with it. No matter what your gift is, there is likely a leadership component to it, whether you’re impacting 1000’s or 1 person with your gift. And the people you are impacting were purchased with God’s own blood. Selah. Stewarding your purpose isn’t just some cute or light thing; it’s weighty because just like God don’t play about YOU, He don’t play about His people either.

As a Christian business owner, this mindset is really challenging me rethink how I structure and optimize even the smallest aspects of my business to ensure that how I operate is fully loving on and shepherding the people God has brought into my care (1 Peter 5:2). I hope it’s challenging you to do the same.

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Still hungry? Eat some more //

• Ephesians 4:11-13 → whatever gift God has given you was given for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ (this is what “building the Kingdom” really looks like)
• Ephesians 14-16 → the more we build the Body of Christ, the more we’ll be able to love and show up in the world the way we’re supposed to that will truly help “God’s Kingdom come”.
• If you’re unsure about what your highest and best gift is, I highly recommend both of the following resources:
  
  • A spiritual gifts assessment test
  • Reading The Big Leap really helped me verbalize my God given giftings in a more powerful and specific way. I don't rock with ALL the "new agey" techniques he shares in the book, but his exercises on helping you pinpoint & verbalize your genius are really good.