Purpose. This word has always resonated with me.

Personally, purpose is the “point” of something to me. Purpose is the “why” behind the decision. It is the reason for every action and reaction. Every action has an intended end and that is the purpose of the action; but does this mean the same to you?

Purpose is the end result of whatever mission you have been placed on earth to complete. Each stage in your life may have different end purposes. As a child, your entire purpose was to learn to walk and communicate, whereas when you’re 18, your purpose was to make difficult choices with what you want to do with the rest of your life. Your mindset goes from “can I do this? Yes, I can” to “can I do this? Yes, I can…but should I? Maybe I can’t do this. What will I gain or what will I lose? Do I take this chance? Do I say yes? And once I’ve made this choice, can I go back?”

All of these questions are often terrifying to both young and old. If you are one of the lucky ones that know what your purpose is at a young age, I applaud you. Even at 26, I find myself asking if there is anything else I can do for this world to make it even just a little less dark and damaging.

A statement I remember hearing from Rev. Dr. Andy Stanley in one of his “Your Move” podcasts from January, that continues to resonate and empower me, is a question that he asked: “What makes your heart break?”

This question has the power to propel any calling into action.

The thoughts that come to mind after being asked this question, often are followed with “someone should do something about that” or “I can’t do that, I’m not good enough, strong enough, have enough money...” But you can be that person.

A beautiful example of this type of story comes from the Old Testament in the story of Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer to the king. He was a man who had never known his homeland, but upon learning his people were struggling, began to pray, fast and speak to God about what he should do, and how he should go about achieving it. In the book named after him, Nehemiah requested the king to allow him to return to the land of his fathers and to rebuild what was burned and broken. This wasn’t just a leave of absence or something short term; he wanted to return to a land that he’s never known in order to help rebuild it.

Imagine if we took action upon what makes our heart ache? How many lives could we impact or change for the better? Finding and cultivating your purpose in life is an intimate walk with God, filled with prayer and a lot of faith. We all have to be fearless to ask God for what our minds consider impossible.

Purpose is the process we experience to obtain a goal, and we all are a part of a much larger purpose than our own. As we all walk to find our purpose in this life, let’s remember the question of what we all should strive to know the answer to: what breaks our heart? Once you know the answer to this question, speak with friends, leaders, and anyone who will listen to do something about what breaks your heart. If God is for us, who could ever dream of stopping us?

What Breaks Your Heart