^“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Just finished up, last night, serving in a second student conference this summer. The first was in Daytona, Florida with the Bigstuf camps folks (love those people) and the second was at the church where my husband serves on staff in the student ministry and production staff. We are talking over six thousand student lives impacted this summer, just through those two conferences alone. It is quite a humbling, exhilarating, and EXHAUSTING experience!

As I listened to the speakers at both conferences speak, they spoke to the students quite a bit about living out their God given purpose, and walking out their faith. We are, after all supposed to be doers and not hearer only of the Word, right? (James 1:22)

It’s true, what the speakers said to the kids. The most important thing they will accomplish in this life is to live out God’s purpose for their lives. To discover what that is, and live in it. To run after it. The goal is to help those students understand that so that they can begin on that journey now.

Sadly, there are so many adults who live out their lives, every day, apart from that purpose. Many of them don’t even know what that purpose is. (Many may not have the understanding that they were created with something to do, a purpose.) Sadder still, are those who know what that purpose is, and yet are still not living in it.

Their lives are spent, day after day, living a life they were never called to or gifted for. Theirs is a frustrating life. Can you imagine a hawk, whose purpose in life is to soar above the trees and see the world from a lofty position, never leave the ground? It realizes the wings on its back were given them for a reason, a purpose, and yet refuses to acknowledge that purpose and instead, chooses to spend its days on the ground. None of us has seen a healthy hawk that did not live in its purpose.

It is never too late to live in your purpose.

I have a friend who is a life coach who recently asked, “Intention without action is like wanting to win the lottery without buying a lottery ticket. What is one action step you can take toward your goal?” ~Lisa Allen

I’m not asking you to buy a lottery ticket; I am asking you to consider that one step you can take to begin living in your purpose.

I love watching people who are living in their purpose. I got to do that this weekend. My husband, Matthew, is a creative and technical genius. I am not even exaggerating. Not a bit. When he is living in that purpose, there is obvious near-miraculous things happening… Near-miraculous… I mean he’s not Jesus, for crying out loud.

For the last few years, Matthew has not really had the opportunity to live in that purpose. He’s been in the neighborhood, but not close enough. It’s kind of been a situational thing, and even I think a period of rest for him. But he stepped back into his purpose this week and there were huge things happening. I mean HUGE. The cool thing was, everyone saw it, not just me.

When someone is living in their God given purpose, its obvious to those around them. Christians love to see other Christians doing what they have been gifted and called to do. It brings a smile to the face. Conversely, there is nothing sadder than to see someone living apart from their purpose. It’s like watching that poor hamster running on his wheel. There’s a whole lot of commotion, quite a bit of effort, but not much of any real consequence happening.

So how about you? Are you living in the God-given purpose for your life? If you are, then kudos to you. I’d love to hear about it. If not, then why not? Have you even discovered what that purpose is? You can ask yourself, “What is it that really gets me going? What would I do, even if I weren’t being paid to do it?” It’s likely that very thing, which will help you to live in your purpose. Then begin taking the steps, one at a time, which will get you to your life’s purpose. Look out for the miraculous to happen, or at least the near-miraculous!

I’m going to let you see a snippet of what happens when a person is living in their purpose… the video doesn’t do this justice…

This is Motion Student Conference 2012 at Church of the Highlands. Three thousand students, hundreds of staff and Dream Teamers…

and Matthew, my husband, living in his purpose. This, my sweet friends, is his purpose.