How To Answer “What Should I Do With My Life?”

You’ve asked yourself this question, over and over. My life… What should I do with it?

Answering this question, you know, means a lot to your future success, fulfillment, joy, satisfaction and finally, loads of blessings in heaven.

So you read many self-help materials… and from one book or article to the other, you read: look within… what do you love doing? what are your values? What did you enjoy doing as a child…? What skills and abilities do you have?

You answered some of those questions, came up with some ideas, and feel you’re on your way purposeful living. But deep within, you feel there’s something still missing. Some lines you need to connect. Because, it’s one thing to find out what you love doing, and another thing to find out where best you were designed to apply it.

I know this, because I’ve been there tons of times. Any young woman with a desire to get more and do more with her life has asked herself this question. And although the ideas proffered by self-help look like “a great help”, they definitely won’t keep our heart from asking more questions… and desiring more. “I want to be fulfilled in life. What is my purpose in life? What on earth am I here for? What do I do with my single-hood? How do I become a purposeful and fulfilled woman?”

These questions boil down to the central theme: What should I do with my life?

One day, I sat on my bed, my head in my hands, thinking. And it was this question I kept asking.

You see, after many years of asking different questions, and looking to different resources to find answers, I’ve learnt that a resource that will always be up-to-date – with counsel from our Creator, and wisdom tips from the world’s wisest man that ever lived – is the BIBLE.

Searching the Bible for “life”, I arrived at Matthew 10:39 “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it”

What happens when you lose something? You release it… give up ownership.  

“Does this have anything to do with what I should do with my life?”

A whole lot!

It’s A Question Of WHY Not WHAT

You have plates in your house, right? Why did you buy a plate? – To dish food and eat. Assuming you ignore why a plate was made in the first place, and you start looking for what to do with the plate… Maybe you start using it to cook or fetch drinking water. Ok. The plate is “busy”, but it could wear out soon from fire burns, because it’s not made for that. You diverted from its why.

That’s where we miss it! When you ask “WHAT to do with my life”, you want to find out the purpose of your life – what your life is intended for. But you’ve jumped the first question… WHY?

This is a picture of what happens when you follow the “look within and find you” talk without going to the producer of YOU to first understand your why.

“So why was I created?”

Good question!

The Purpose Of Man’s Creation

When you buy a new product, you check the manufacturers’ manual to find out its use, right?

Ok. That’s what we’ll do now.

“…for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

(Revelations 4:11)

Catch a picture here:

I play the violin. Why did I get a violin? – To produce pleasant melody as I pull the bow over the strings. If the violin wakes up one morning and says, “No I want to be on my own… Let me find out my purpose myself.” I’ll simply watch it with sardonic smiles around my check.

You can’t dude! You’ll waste away until you get into my hands.

That’s the same with you and I. You need to first surrender to God, then He sets you on the path of your true life’s mission.

It’s time for you to truly surrender to God if you haven’t.

This post will help you (click) – Sweet surrender: what if my own plans get interrupted

When you’ve done that, move on to this next step.

Commissioned To Sow

The first instruction God gave to man is: “Be fruitful and multiply… But you can’t be fruitful, multiply and replenish without sowing. Sowing. This is the next step to live a purposeful life.

“How do I know where to sow?”

Open your eyes. Look! Jesus told His disciples to look on the fields…

There are lands that need to be cultivated.

Like God put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden for them to tend and keep it, also, He has placed you in this generation, in your family, in your school, in your environment (offline and online) for a purpose. The world is a garden, and there are fields to cultivate. As you consciously open your eyes, you’ll find needs around you. …Something that needs to be produced or put in place. …Work that needs to be done.

Yes, purposeful living is work! I’ll come back to that.

“What next?”

What Do You Have?

As you prayerfully think, God will reveal it to you. Yes, He will. “Do this. Volunteer here. Use this skill you have. Share this knowledge you learnt.”

Elisha asked the Shunamite woman, “what do you have?” Thank God she remembered she has some oil in a bottle. She never thought it will be of good use in salvaging her situation.

“… Go and borrow empty vessels from your neighbours…”, he then said to her.

Likewise you and I. There are people around you with empty vessels. Go gather the vessels and pour your oil out.

Rahab lived close the city gate; she seized that opportunity to help the spies. And she was blessed! Similarly, Esther was in the palace – she used it to deliver her people.

It starts by recognizing the needs around you… …The fields. And sowing seeds into them.

For instance, you know why I started writing on this blog? I looked around and saw a need. I saw lots of young women who had wrong ideologies about femininity. God, by His grace, have been working on my life in so many ways. At first, I didn’t even see it as something huge to keep writing about and sharing. But thank God for a life of surrender. I once shared how I made a surrender prayer, and put it close to my mirror, so I could always see and re-commit. Then God made it click!

You have oil, go share it with your neighbor. Here I am. Doing this. And yes, enjoying it.

 Go check those who live a fulfilled and fruitful life. They’re serving people. In various fields of life. And you can do that in any profession, as long as God directs your step into it.

Like C. S. Lewis said, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right then, have it your way.”

So, where do you choose to belong?

The Journey Of A Purposeful Life

You’ve seen the first question you need to ask – Why?

You’ve seen what next to do – look and sow.

Now, I want to leave you with five things to always keep in mind on this journey of “what should I do with my life”:

1.You live one day at a time.

You might have visions, goals and aspirations of what you’ll want to do with your life, but you don’t have the full story. No, your human mind will be too small to handle the whole story of your life if God shows every detail to you now. So, enjoy the process. Do what needs to be done today. Plan for tomorrow. Commit everything into God’s hands. He rules. And you are safe in His loving hands.

2. Don’t be afraid to try out new things:

Ohk. I discovered this field of young women that I can sow into, and kept wondering how to do it. When I got the impression to start a blog, my first response was “I don’t write!” Like… I’ve never seen myself as a writer. But I dared to try. And here I am… writing and loving it. “You have dozens of hidden abilities and gifts you don’t know you’ve got because you’ve never tried them out.” (Rick Warren)

3. Be ready to work:

Paul told Timothy to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed…” (2 Timothy 2:15) We are workmen. God detests imperfection. Likewise man. Moreover, if you must sow seed that will germinate and bear healthy and plenteous fruits, you’ve got to tend the garden well. And what does it entail: Study. Practice. Feed yourself. Learn from others who have are successful in the skills and knowledge you need. You can’t give what you don’t have. Don’t be lazy. Put your hands into the soils and work!

4. Stay connected:

Furthermore, stay connected to God, you and the world around you. Study God’s word and pray regularly. Have some time to meditate, think and brainstorm. As you stay in touch with God, He’ll keep depositing great ideas into your mind. But you need to pull away from the noise around, at times, to dig into your life and dig up the experiences and talents that you can employ to make your service to God and mankind more fruitful. There’s something unique about you. Don’t be a copy-cat. And yes, don’t lock yourself in forever. You need to interact with people around you, so you can see and seize opportunities to serve.

5. Keep your eyes on the prize:

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philipians 3:13-14

Some days will be very difficult, but don’t forget your why… and the prize that awaits you. For every Child of God, there are both earthly and eternal rewards –

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men (Proverbs 22:29)

Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.  (Daniel 12:3)

Finally, I’m sure you’ve got a picture of how to answer the question: What should I do with my life? The answer awaits you as you act!

However, if you have more questions and ideas to share, jump into the comment section, I’ll meet you there.

Remain Radiant!