Chapter 2
Understanding What Purpose Really Is
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
— Jeremiah 1:5
Defining Purpose
Before we can enter our place of purpose, we must understand what purpose actually is. This may seem obvious, but most people have never stopped to carefully define it.
Let me give you several definitions from the perspective of the Maker:
Purpose is the reason for the creation of something.
Purpose is the original idea behind the existence of something.
Purpose is exactly what that thing was meant to do.
When we talk about purpose, we are not talking about your preferences, your desires, or your dreams. We are talking about the original intent of the One who created you. Purpose is not what you want to be, purpose is what you were made to be.
This is a crucial distinction. Many people confuse their desires with their purpose. They think that whatever they want to do must be what God created them for. But that is not necessarily true. Your desires may or may not align with your purpose. Only the Maker knows for certain what He made you for.
The Smartphone Illustration
Let me illustrate this with something you use every day: your smartphone.
Before that phone existed, there was something called a need. People needed to communicate in a way that was portable, lightweight, and easy to carry. They needed to access information quickly from anywhere. They needed to stay connected while moving through the world.
That need gave birth to a purpose: Create a device that enables anyone, anywhere to communicate and access information instantly.
Then the phone's form was designed to fit that purpose. The designers asked questions:
- Should this phone be one meter tall? No, it cannot be portable if it is too big.
- Should it be the size of a grain of rice? No, people might lose it or swallow it.
- What components does it need to fulfill its purpose?
The phone had to have the right size, the right weight, the right internal components, the right software, the right capabilities, all designed specifically to fulfill its purpose.
When that phone finally came off the assembly line, it was complete. It did not need to pray and fast to become a phone. It did not need a prophetic word to know its identity. It simply was what it was created to be, equipped to do what it was created to do.
The Divine Order of Creation
This illustration reveals something profound about how God creates. There is an order, a sequence, a process that God follows:
Let me break this down:
1. Need is Identified
God does not create randomly. He creates because there is something that needs to exist. Before He creates anything, He identifies a gap, a requirement, a necessity in His grand design.
2. Purpose is Determined
Once the need is identified, God determines what the thing will do. This is the purpose, the function, the assignment, the reason for existence.
3. Form is Designed
With the purpose clear, God designs the appropriate form. The form is always customized to fit the purpose. A bird has wings because its purpose involves flying. A fish has gills because its purpose involves living underwater. Your form, your body, your personality, your abilities, was designed to fit your purpose.
4. Location is Chosen
Purpose requires environment. God determines where the thing will operate. A polar bear is placed in arctic regions. A camel is placed in desert regions. Your birthplace, your family, your nation, your era, these were not accidents. They were specifically chosen for your purpose.
5. Thing is Created and Released
Finally, with need identified, purpose determined, form designed, and location chosen, God creates and releases. And when He releases, the thing is complete. It is fully equipped. It has everything it needs.
Application to Human Beings
Now let us apply this to you.
The Bible says in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."
This is remarkable. Before your physical form existed, God knew you. What does this mean? It means the idea of you, the purpose of you, existed before your body was formed.
God identified a need that only you could meet. God determined a purpose that only you could fulfill. God designed a form, your specific body, mind, and personality, to fit that purpose. God chose a location, your family, nation, and era, for that purpose. Then God released you into the earth, fully equipped for your assignment.
This means:
- Your face was designed for your purpose
- Your height was designed for your purpose
- Your skin color was designed for your purpose
- Your natural abilities were designed for your purpose
- Your personality was designed for your purpose
- Your parents were chosen for your purpose
- Your birthplace was chosen for your purpose
- Your generation was chosen for your purpose
Nothing about you is accidental. Everything about you is intentional.
The Misconception
Here is where many believers go wrong.
They think they need to pray and fast to become who they are. They think they need prophetic words to discover their purpose. They think they need years of searching to find their identity.
But consider this: You will never see an iPhone calling back to the manufacturer asking, "Who am I? What am I supposed to do? Please tell me my purpose!"
The iPhone already knows. It was built with its purpose embedded. It does not need external confirmation of its identity. It simply operates according to its design.
The same is true for you. You were created with your purpose already inside you.
You do not need to become something you are not. You need to discover and activate what you already are.
You do not need prophetic words to tell you your identity. You need to understand the identity that was built into you from the beginning.
This does not mean prophetic words are useless, they can confirm and clarify. But they should not be your primary source of identity. Your Maker should be.
You Came from God
Here is another truth that will revolutionize your understanding:
Your parents only gave you a body. YOU came from God.
Think about it. Your parents provided the physical material, the egg and sperm that formed your body. But that body is just a house. The real you, your spirit, your soul, your essence, came from God.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 says:
"Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."
Your spirit came from God. It will return to God. Your body came from the earth. It will return to the earth.
This means your parents did not create you. They merely provided a physical dwelling for you. The real you existed in the mind of God before your parents ever met.
God conceived you in eternity. He designed you for a specific purpose. He chose the time and place for your arrival. He selected the parents who would give you the physical body you needed. Then He released you into the earth, complete, equipped, and ready.
Purpose Defines Form
One of the most liberating truths about purpose is this: Purpose defines form.
Whatever you look like, whatever abilities you have, whatever personality you possess, these were specifically designed by your Maker for your specific assignment.
This means you can stop wishing you were someone else. You can stop comparing yourself to others. You can stop trying to change the fundamental aspects of your design.
Your nose. Your eyes. Your height. Your temperament. These are not mistakes to be corrected. They are features designed for your function.
Psalm 139:14 says:
"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well."
You are wonderfully made. Not randomly made. Not carelessly made. Wonderfully made, with intention, purpose, and divine craftsmanship.
This does not mean you should never develop or improve. But it means your fundamental design is not a problem to solve. It is a gift to steward.
The Implication for Purpose Discovery
If all of this is true, and it is, then discovering your purpose is not about finding something external. It is about uncovering something internal.
Your purpose is already inside you. It was placed there before you were born. The question is not, "What should I become?" The question is, "What was I already made to be?"
Discovery happens through:
- Understanding God's ways, Learning how He designs and deploys
- Studying your design, Examining your abilities, passions, and patterns
- Recognizing your location, Understanding why you are where you are
- Receiving confirmation, Through Scripture, wise counsel, and the Holy Spirit
But the foundation is this: You are not creating your purpose. You are discovering what was already created.
Key Principles About Purpose
Let me summarize the key principles we have learned:
| Principle | Explanation | |-----------|-------------| | Purpose precedes creation | God knew what He wanted before He made you | | Form follows purpose | Your design was customized for your assignment | | Location supports purpose | Your environment was chosen for your calling | | Purpose is internal | It was placed inside you, not given from outside | | You are complete | You were born equipped, not lacking | | Discovery, not creation | You find what already exists; you do not make it up |
Reflection Questions
- Have you been trying to "become" something, or have you been discovering what you already are?
- What aspects of your design (physical, mental, emotional) have you viewed as problems rather than purpose-designed features?
- How does knowing that purpose precedes creation change your perspective on your life circumstances?
- What does it mean for you personally that your parents provided a body, but YOU came from God?
Prayer
Father, thank You for designing me with purpose. Thank You that before I was formed in the womb, You knew me. You sanctified me. You ordained me. Help me to stop trying to become someone I was not created to be. Help me instead to discover and activate the purpose You placed inside me before the foundation of the world. I embrace my design, my form, my abilities, my location. I trust that nothing about me is accidental. Everything is intentional. Lead me into the full understanding of my purpose. In Jesus' name, Amen.