As a Christian leader, I believe everyone has a purpose and meaning for their lives. Everyone was created for something special in this world. In Ephesians 2:10, the Bible tells us that we are Christ’s workmanship. We are created in Christ Jesus for good works (purpose).
You and I… We were not created by accident. We were created for something.
While I believe this purpose and meaning comes from the lives we live, we can find purpose and meaning in the things that we do. Including the organizations and people we lead. There’s a purpose and meaning behind this!
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
Finding Purpose And Meaning In Leadership
It’s funny that I’m writing this article when I am. The morning I was writing this, I began to take a look back on my leadership and writing journey. I began to think of the people I started this journey with.
Many of these great and wonderful people are no longer writing or sharing what they did when we began. Some have even quit writing.
One of those is someone I consider a great friend of mine, though we haven’t seen each other in almost four years. I visited his website only to see the website is gone. I then went to his organization’s website. That’s gone as well.
I began to question myself. Why am I still writing? Why am I still sharing these insights?
It’s because there’s a purpose behind it.
I may not speak to an audience of 10,000 people. I may not be the most prominent blogger in the world. I may never get to do the things I dreamed of doing at the beginning of this.
Do you feel me on that? You probably have felt this way at some point in your career. You’ve wondered whether you’re truly having an impact. Whether or not the time away from your family or loved ones really matters. It does.
Through this wondering and wandering, I realized there’s still a purpose and meaning in my writing and youth ministry efforts.
I’ve received letters from countless readers. They’ve shared how my words have helped them become a better leader. They’ve shared their doubts, concerns, and worries with me. I’ve run into former youth students who have shared how my presence has impacted their lives. It’s something I’ve been able to hold dear to me when I begin to wonder if I should still be writing or involved in youth ministry or doing what I’m doing.
You Have A Purpose
Whenever you begin to feel burnout coming in leadership, remember that you have a purpose. It’s not the purpose of your organization, your family, or some far-out idea. This purpose is one you were created for.
You have the purpose of:
- Inspiring others to become the best version of themselves
- Helping grow new leaders
- Mentoring those above and below you
- Guiding your organization in an ethical and sustainable way
- Developing and growing yourself while helping others do the same
Those are just some of the purposes you have as a leader. Still, your purpose extends beyond your career. You have a purpose as a human being. I believe some of those purposes to be:
- Encouraging those you interact with on a daily basis (to show them they matter)
- Loving your family and friends well
- Treating others with respect and value
- Loving God fully
- Leaving the world a better place than you entered it
- Caring for others
This is just the tip of the iceberg. We all have a purpose. In fact, we have multiple purposes. Don’t doubt that for a minute.
