Overcoming purposelessness

We have seen what purpose is, why one needs purpose in their lives, what can happen in the case that there is no purpose or loss of purpose. We also looked at a few more dire consequences of purposelessness and what its possible causes can be.

So how can one develop purpose when they’ve never had any set purpose or combat losing purpose after having purpose at one point in life?

First and foremost, look to God. He was the One who made you intentionally with purpose (Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"). He knows that you require a purpose in your life for you to grow fruitful. But, make sure to check your heart. Are you seeking God for purpose only to put Him aside and do it yourself? Or are you seeking Him so that He can reveal what He knows is best suited for you and to invite Him into it so He can help you achieve it? He is going to guide you to a purpose that would be best for you but, at the same time, would require you to partner with Him. He wants you to rely on Him. So seek Him simply to seek Him and know Him. As you get to know Him more, He will reveal to you more about the you He made you to be, which includes a purpose for your life. This purpose He has for you will be better than anything you can ever come up with for yourself because He is an all seeing, all knowing God who knows sees you fully in all stages of your life.

Once you have made it a priority to seek God and keep seeking Him to simply know Him more, surrender your own plans to God. Even when we look to God and He reveals a plan to us in order to achieve His purpose for our lives, it can be something we don’t desire or wish to do. Jonah from the bible was a great example of someone who got a clear direction from God on what he needed to do but stuck to his own plans and actions. This choice of his led to a lot more struggle in his life than if He had just listened to God. As humans, it is common to want to be in control of all aspects of your life. Especially when it comes to making plans to achieve your purpose. But, God is wiser than all the wisest minds from the beginning of time combined. So, it is very important to be mindful of the times where you are tempted to do something other than what God is asking you to, bring that desire to God and work on it with Him. If you need Godly people to help you through it, go to your church leaders. They are there to help you be a better disciple of God. (Ephesians 4:11-12: "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up".). It will be difficult, but know that redirection could delay you or hurt you more. So, Plan with God and invite Godly people where needed (Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”).

Don't doubt that you are capable of great things. If God has called you into doing something, He also equips you with the skills and opportunities to achieve that purpose. He has predestined us for greatness. (Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”). As you seek the Lord, surrendering your plans for His plans, He reveals your uniquely made design which is equipped for this purpose He has called you to do. The lie from the enemy or from others or from your own self that you are talentless, not skilled, not meant for greatness doesn’t have any power over you. In Jesus, we are all talented, skilled and meant for greatness. You are set up for success, you simply let Him walk you into that.

Believe what He has spoken over your life. Even if you don’t believe the negative stuff spoken over your life, it is not going to help much if you don’t believe the positive things God has spoken over your life. Believing that God created you to have an abundant life, even in moments of difficulties, understanding and believing that stress, insecurities, joylessness aren’t your portion in Christ is very important to not spiral in difficult moments or when it seems like it’s only getting worse. What is your portion is peace, joy, abundance, wisdom, etc. (Jeremiah 29:11 ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”).

Set up reminders. Believing the truths and being able to remember it in moments are both necessary to make sure there is change in your thinking and actions. Keeping verses over spoken by God over your life as screensaver, sticky notes, notes on your daily planner, Setting up widgets with motivational verses, etc. Whatever suits your personal schedule and daily activities best. But, set up reminders. Even for your personal time with God, use timers, reminders, etc. so that consistency can be built.

Act in accordance. Reminding yourself of the truths and God’s word is important. The next thing is to act in accordance with what has been revealed. Learn about that role, apply for that job, work confidently, work consistently trusting God for success in His time, even if it doesn’t seem like anything is happening. You place your worth on God and His view of you instead of the work you are doing, you keep having a positive attitude because you trust what God says. You don’t stress or worry, you hold onto the peace of God.

Enjoy the beauty in the wait. God is all seeing and all knowing. He is definitely aware that you are seeking a purpose. He also knows when you will be ready to receive the fullness of what He has in store for you (Acts 1:7 "He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.'") So until then, it is our responsibility to be faithful in our growth and enjoy the beauty of the wait. Notice the change within you, within your situations, etc. during God’s preparation before He reveals his purpose over your life or goes into telling you the next step. He will. He is not going to forsake you at a random moment in your life (Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”). So be still and keep your eyes fixed on Him. See all the beautiful things He is doing daily.

Recognising the higher human purpose: Even when you don’t know the specific purpose God has over your life, know that all of mankind has a higher purpose. The purpose of reflecting His glory, of worshipping God through all that we do, to be gospel sharers, to be set apart, to follow His commandments and obey him, etc. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”).

Other practical ways to overcome purposelessness and develop a purpose for your life includes the following:

• Look for opportunities to practice kindness: Empathy towards other people in small acts helps inspire a desire to do something bigger for others. If you have lost your purpose, try it with people you know and then branch out to people you don’t know.
• Identify your values: Consciously putting effort into understanding what things matter to you and make you want to invest your energy. If you have lost your purpose, exploring past values and noting what changed and then working from there to narrow down newer values which fit your life in the present.
• Recognizing benefits or positive feedback of your works: understanding the ways your works have impacted for better the lives of other people or hearing positive feedback for the work that you have done can be helpful to identify your purpose.
• Identify the kind of personality you have: knowing your personality traits helps narrow down purposes which can mesh with your personality or help you grow in the areas you wish to see growth in your personality. You could have had a few shifts in personality, so it would be helpful to examine those changes and then identify the personality.
• Note down impact on your life: Take out intentional time to note down the things that happened in your life that have or people in your life who have created some impact in your life. This can be positive for you to also take up that direction or can be positive and your purpose can be to help deal with or prevent those negative impacts from occurring in the lives of people.
• What makes you you: Explore the times when you felt the happiest and most like yourself. Where things just came so naturally to you and you felt like you belonged without any extra work. Who are the people you were around, what are the things around you, what were you doing that made you feel at peace? This can help pinpoint who you truly are, the kind of person you want to be all the time. If you have lost your purpose, exploring the old interests and then moving to newer interests can help.
• Ideal you: When you think about your ideal self, what does that look like, surrounded by who, doing what, etc.
• Practice mindfulness: This helps you be more in touch with your feelings and personal values and helps you know what things you actually find meaning in. Figure out what are the positive things you turn to when you turn to in your moments of wanting peace.
• Practice gratitude: So it helps you be humble, thankful and hopeful. A constant reminder that it hasn’t always been hard and how it won't be either.
• Cultivating relationships: Being surrounded with friends and family who uplift and build you up can help rejuvenate you, especially if you have lost your purpose.
• Seeking help: Understanding that you are not alone and can take the help of others around you and following through with taking that help when needed, is essential to not burn yourself out. Counselors and therapists can help. They can help you strengthen the areas you know are helpful and to work through the areas which require overcoming.

We have seen that having a purpose is a human need. It is inbuilt in humans to seek out a purpose for their life. But due to specific life conditions, one might not have a set personal purpose or might have lost their purpose. But, that doesn’t mean it can’t be developed or redeveloped. So, be encouraged that you aren’t the only person going through this or that you will never have a purpose. There is help always available in God, Godly leaders and mentors, and through therapists and counselors. Make full use of the help available so that you can be your best, happiest self.

References:

• 4 Encouraging truths for when you feel purposeless | Confidentwomanco.com. (2021, August 16).
• How to Plan with Jesus in Mind | confidentwomanco.com. (2021, July 30).
• MSEd, K. C. (2025, October 29). 'What is the point of life?': why you might feel this way. Verywell Mind.
• Seven ways to find your purpose in life. (n.d.). Greater Good.
• Vanourek, G. (2025, October 3). How to discover your purpose. GREGG VANOUREK.