The purpose of life

  • Thread starter Thread starter MyGodAndMyLord
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MyGodAndMyLord

Guest
Does God direct our lives and, if so, how can we know His plan for our lives?

After getting and losing jobs several times, I find myself wondering if God is trying to tell me something. I’ve prayed on it but I get no clear sense of direction.

How can I discern God’s will for my life and is it possible that my life simply does not have any particular purpose?
 
may i ask if they have given you a reason for losing the jobs?
 
Various reasons.

In one case, I lost a job for incompetence and was later given an award for excellence for the work I had done there. In another, the company restructured. In yet another, health reasons forced me to take time off and I was let go because they needed someone right away.

Why do you ask?
 
MyGodAndMyLord said:
Does God direct our lives and, if so, how can we know His plan for our lives?

After getting and losing jobs several times, I find myself wondering if God is trying to tell me something. I’ve prayed on it but I get no clear sense of direction.

How can I discern God’s will for my life and is it possible that my life simply does not have any particular purpose?
Click to expand...
God does not force his will upon us. However, we can be open to God’s will and whatever he allows to come our way.

Generally, detachment from our own desires in exchange for God’s desires for us, is something that we strive for.

Accepting God’s will, which is all good, even when it seems to opposite, is part of maturing in our spiritual walk.

Prayer is the key.

God Bless
Jim
 
What I’m about to say may be hard to digest… because they sound so textbook-like.

First off… know that God loves you and he has plans for you.

Second, don’t be anxious… everything is in the Lord’s time. Just do what you can and trust in the Lord. What have you surrendered to Him lately?

I’ll use my own situation as an example… yeah, right, easy for me to say, eh? I have a job. True… but I also was recently married. In reality my current job would not allow me to support my family. I’m also gonna be a dad by September to add to that. But God made a way. My wife and I are apart temporarily. Actually, it was a necessity out of our own unique situation. She’s halfway across the globe and we miss each other. We’ve only been together a month after we got married then we had to separate. I trust in God that he will not forsake them. Yet I do what I can… I am looking for a job (obviously). I have posted my resume online. I’ve been actively looking up any openings where I work at and hope for the best. So far, no luck… yet. Does that mean God doesn’t want me go forward? Of course not… I can’t fathom what God wants. All I know is that he sees the big picture and I just have to trust in that. Perhaps, He wants to humble me or He wants to show me something in my current job that will prepare me for the future or perhaps the time is just not right.

I just trust in God but that does not mean I do nothing. I do what I can. And that is enough for Him. I have hope that one day, I will be united with my wife and child. That’s where trust in the Lord has to come in big time…

I hope it helps. It’s not much because everyone’s situation is unique. Just keep praying.
 
Thanks for taking the time and caring enough to answer.:blessyou:

I have been praying too. And going to church. And reading the occassional book to deepen my faith and understanding. None of it, though, has particularly helped me understand what God’s desires might be for my life. Maybe God doesn’t want me to continue in the same type of job. But if not that kind of job, then what?

I’ll admit I have trust issues with God on occassion. That, though, isn’t the main thing.

The main thing for me isn’t a lack of trust in God so much as a pretty complete lack of understanding of just what it is He wants in terms of the specifics of my life. This brings me to consider several possibilities, including: a) perhaps God doesn’t care about the specifics of my life at all and is not telling me anything because none of it really matters much, or; b) God cares deeply about the specifics of what I should be doing but so far I have in some way been too stupid to realize because of a spectacular lack of discernment, or; c) God is for some reason incapable of telling me what I should be doing, perhaps because He is more limited than I imagine Him to be or perhaps because He has decided due to a previous commitment such as a covenant to not give me the specifics.

At the moment, I simply don’t know what to think. It’s enough to make me want to :banghead:
 
When St Ignatius of Loyola was convalescing from a wound sustained in battle, he discovered Christ seeking him and inviting him into a new way of living. Ignatius made this discovery by following the pattern of consolations and desolations in his life. His consolations included feelings of peace and contentment when he read the life of Christ and the lives of the saints. His desolations included feelings of dissatisfaction and emptiness when he read romantic stories of chivalry.

in the next several years Ignatius developed this insight into the series of meditations in the Spiritual Exercises, which encourage the retreatant to examine the events of their lives - and to discover that God is actually present and calling us into new life.

(This was my experience at a time when i was completely lost in my life. The Lord is faithful to us all the time!)

A gifted spiritual director, perhaps trained in Ignatian spirituality, might be a good conversation partner for you in your time of distress. He or she could help you discern the presence of the Lord in your life. Your diocese could probably help point you to experienced directors.

Pray always! Ignatius’ prayer for surrender and help is a great one:

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my entire will - all I have and possess. You have given all to me. Now I return it. Dispose of it (meaning my life) wholly according to you will. Give me only your love and your grace. They are enough for me.

I have found this prayer one of the most powerful prayers of my spiritual life. After you pray it, begin to watch the experiences of your life and your heart to see how the Lord is inviting you. Remember, this isn’t magic. It’s relationship and the call to deeper relationship. It is the Lord himself acting in our lives.

It should go without saying that the Rosary is also a prayer of extraordinary power. Ignatius had a great devotion to Our Lady and to the Rosary.

God Bless!
 
Dear Father Ben,
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my entire will - all I have and possess. You have given all to me. Now I return it. Dispose of it (meaning my life) wholly according to you will. Give me only your love and your grace. They are enough for me.
Click to expand...
I echo and share your love for this powerful prayer! A blessing for me, too, beyond compare! For a long time as I read the words, I realized I could not really pray them and mean it. What if God took this? … or that? No, not yet God. All the while, He was showing me where my idols were. One day, I did pray it from my heart and … oh my!!!

Thank you so much for sharing it with us. :angel1:
 
I have had the same problem and lost my job 4 times chucking one in. The reason I found, is that I was doing the work. I had given my self to God and then it seems by taking the jobs I took my self back.

I now have a job that my humanness does not like too much because of the inconvenience of night shift. But so many people are being blessed that I cannot count the blessings comming back to me.
I asked God for a job that I could bless Him with, and each night I bless others with sharing , listening, just being there.

I have been in this job for going on three years now and I have seen two new owners 4 managers and I am the longest staying.
“When mountains fall I’ll stand by the power of Your hand and in Your Heart of Heart s I’ll dwell , and that my soul knows very well”

It could be the same for you.

God bless
littleone
 
I sincerely hope it will not be the same for me. I hope I will not have a job I dislike and still be at it years later, working nights.

If this is God’s way of blessing people, then He can keep it.
 
joysong - thank you for posting that. I never thought about that before. I can see where God is showing my my vices and needs my effort to rid them of it.
 
MyGodAndMyLord said:
Does God direct our lives and, if so, how can we know His plan for our lives?

?
Click to expand...
no, not of we disobey his commandments, continually disregard the teaching, advice and warnings of those to whom He has given authority over us such as parents, teachers, bosses, government officials. Not if we persist in clinging to our own desires, opinions and destructive habits and refuse to trust in God, and refuse to submit to His will. He cannot make his will known to anyone who refuses to listen. If we do not have a prayer habit, a disposition to listen for and submit to His Word, He will continue to speak, and we will continue to block Him out.
 
MyGodAndMyLord said:
I sincerely hope it will not be the same for me. I hope I will not have a job I dislike and still be at it years later, working nights.

If this is God’s way of blessing people, then He can keep it.
Click to expand...
Brother for some people a man stepping into a muddy water that people say should be stayed away from, causes much gladness in Heaven when a sinner turns back to God. Where as a man doing what seems godly to him might be only offering God that persons left overs.

The joy of the Lord is my strength and I take it from where ever I am offered it. Praise be our loveing Lord Jesus Christ who forgives my sins even when I don’t deserve to have them forgiven.

Jesus is our God and our Lord …when we let go and let God giving all over to Him. Peace brother.

God bless
littleone
 
puzzleannie said:
no, not of we disobey his commandments, continually disregard the teaching, advice and warnings of those to whom He has given authority over us such as parents, teachers, bosses, government officials. Not if we persist in clinging to our own desires, opinions and destructive habits and refuse to trust in God, and refuse to submit to His will. He cannot make his will known to anyone who refuses to listen. If we do not have a prayer habit, a disposition to listen for and submit to His Word, He will continue to speak, and we will continue to block Him out.
Click to expand...
What would make you think I do those things? Or is that not your implication?
 
I think that all too often people are looking for some great big thing to come along and it will hit them between the eyes and they’ll go, ‘Oh yes this is my great thing that I can do for God’

It isn’t like that.

Our serving of God is in the very small things of life. It is the setting of the table and the sweeping of the floor. It is in the wiping of children’s noses and being pleasant with others and praying on a crowded stressful journey on the bus to work. It is found among the pots and pans of life. This is a great service to God and where we will achieve our holiness in serving God and each other.

Things can have a natural course to run and sometimes when they end people can think that they have failed, but it can simply mean that a time was done in one thing and it is time to serve God in another thing.

You have lost your jobs and you must feel that you are failing, but this isn’t true. These things came to an end, but as one door closed another opens in due course and then this new place is where you serve God in the work place as well as in your personal home life. You have not failed, you are growing, you are changing and so events in your life change. The people you meet you affect and perhaps you have served your purpose in the circle of colleagues you had at the time.

Life is a succession of changes in order that we change, that is grow Christ-like by God’s grace.

God has everything in His hands and nothing must be viewed as failure, but a constant change in order to shake off the old self and let Christ live within by His grace.

Ten years from now you will be in a very different place from where you are now. It may be a different house, you may meet different people, it may be a different job, it may be a different frame of mind, but there will always be differences, the trick is to roll with the punches and then nothing will disturb your peace or trust in Christ Jesus.

None of us can do big things, we can only do little things with alot of love and the more little things we do with alot of love creates a great mountain of love to offer to God by His grace at the end of our lives.

If God gives someone a big thing, then all He asks is for our faithfullness and He brings the big thing about because we can do nothing.

Your intent is to love and serve God and your brothers and sisters and so carry on as you are doing just that in all the small things of life and continue praying always in all that you do and say, that is most pleasing to God:)

In my prayers
 
How can I discern God’s will for my life and is it possible that my life simply does not have any particular purpose?
Click to expand...
If I had a nickel for every time I have thought this, MGAML, I could retire in John Corapi’s old oceanfront house 😃

We can’t manipulate God into giving us just the right job, or situation, or life. At least I can’t, and I sheepishly admit that I’ve tried lots of times. I say prayers, go to mass, go to Adoration, and my life still takes decided downturns from the usual rough road. I get frustrated because I think I am already doing everything for Him, and why can’t He help me out a bit? In my blindness, I want to be running things. I’m like that.

Fr Maurice Zundel urges us to rise above our ego, to “go from a narcissistic monologue to the dialogue of love, through transmutation of our possessive ego into a self-sacrificing one”. Narcissistic monologue? Sigh. I myself still have so far to go. It’s kinda funny though, that during some of those really desperate times when I am at the end of my rope, that’s often when God figures I’m ready to learn a little something.

Take courage, MGAML, you are not alone. We will pray for you.
 
timotheos said:
If I had a nickel for every time I have thought this, MGAML, I could retire in John Corapi’s old oceanfront house 😃

We can’t manipulate God into giving us just the right job, or situation, or life. At least I can’t, and I sheepishly admit that I’ve tried lots of times. I say prayers, go to mass, go to Adoration, and my life still takes decided downturns from the usual rough road. I get frustrated because I think I am already doing everything for Him, and why can’t He help me out a bit? In my blindness, I want to be running things. I’m like that.

Fr Maurice Zundel urges us to rise above our ego, to “go from a narcissistic monologue to the dialogue of love, through transmutation of our possessive ego into a self-sacrificing one”. Narcissistic monologue? Sigh. I myself still have so far to go. It’s kinda funny though, that during some of those really desperate times when I am at the end of my rope, that’s often when God figures I’m ready to learn a little something.

Take courage, MGAML, you are not alone. We will pray for you.
Click to expand...
I appreciate your prayers.

But I do not accept that wanting to know what God wants me to do with my life or even if my life has a purpose is narcissistic.

Throughout the responses people have offered here, there seems to be this common thread of assuming that I am trying to manipulate God into giving me what I want, that I am being egotistical, that I am refusing to worship God as He deserves to be worshipped and instead putting myself first.

Now I know how Job felt. When his friends approached him and offered advice, the assumption was that he had done something wrong to undergo the suffering he had to endure. Like Job, I protest that I have done nothing wrong here - at least with regards to trying to discover the purpose for my life.

Do I accept that setting the table and sweeping the floor should be offered up as a way of serving Christ? Yes, I suppose I do.

But do I accept that the person sweeping the floor and setting the table should abstain from looking for other ways to serve Christ, for another calling? No. I do not accept that.

If God creates an animal with incredible strength and endurance and flexibility, capable of running at 70 miles per hour, it would seem to me wrong to tell that animal that it should accept God’s will and simply walk around at a pace of 2 miles per hour.

Similarly, I know I can do much more that just set a table or sweep a floor. The question I am asking is how do I discover what God would like me to do with the considerable talents he has given me. That is not narcissistic; it is a recognition of fact.

I have prayed on this. I attend church services. I’ve been on retreats. So far, I have not discerned a purpose for my life and so I am wondering if God has a purpose in mind for my life or if our lives - or my life anyways - are simply purposeless. If there is no particular purpose to life, then I may as well just do whatever I want provided it does not interfere with the commandments left to us by God.
 
MyGodAndMyLord said:
Does God direct our lives and, if so, how can we know His plan for our lives?

After getting and losing jobs several times, I find myself wondering if God is trying to tell me something. I’ve prayed on it but I get no clear sense of direction.

How can I discern God’s will for my life and is it possible that my life simply does not have any particular purpose?
Click to expand...
Brother I also have many talents and I find it easy to gain more, but I had to decide which ones I would keep. The other point is that the main job I have now is night management of a hostel 9pm to 6.30am. I have two degree and others but the point is God does not want our abilities He does not need them either. What He does need and want is our availability.

How available are we when we are saying that we could do better than this that and the other. That is the question.

In taking the job on that I have, the degrees are no good. Jesus once told me, and this applies to all people that He doesn’t want our ability He wants our availability and if …He decides to use our ability at all then He will for His glory, because we have given ourself to Him for his glory. In giving ourself to be availably to God, that is when we will see the providence and miracles that are so numerous that any person would probably not accept that God could or would do them, but in my case He has. And all because it glorifies Him, it gives God great pleasure to help His children out with provisions.
Sorry to say but Ezechial tells us that quote “unless we become like a smashed vase then we are no more than the dung of a beast”

Availability not ability, Peace brother.

God bless
littleone

God bless you
littleone
 
Now I know how Job felt. When his friends approached him and offered advice, the assumption was that he had done something wrong to undergo the suffering he had to endure. Like Job, I protest that I have done nothing wrong here - at least with regards to trying to discover the purpose for my life.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you’re doing anything wrong or to give advice, just wanted you to know I think it’s normal to feel the way you do. Many of us also want to know what God wants for our lives, and we don’t seem to get the answer, at least in the timeframe or manner we want. Also pardon my use of the term “narcissistic” without explaining that I didn’t mean it in today’s parlance as exaggerated self-preoccupation. I merely meant, as I imagine Fr. Zundel did, that we have a innate tendency to focus on what WE want; which is a very normal instinct and indeed, backed up strongly by the world around us.

But most importantly, I can tell by your words how discouraged you are. I, for one, will pray tonight for God to remove this burden from your shoulders.

God bless!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top