If a picture is worth a thousand words, a purpose is worth a thousand possibilities.

José Salvador Alvarenga set out on a Mexican fishing trip in November 2012. Fourteen months and 6,000 miles later, he was discovered on a remote island halfway between Hawaii and Australia. With living as his only purpose, Alvarenga drifted aimlessly and barely survived on a diet of fish, turtles, birds, and rainwater. Our purpose, though, can’t be to just survive, drift, and not drown.

We need to live with purpose, live on purpose, and live within God’s purpose. Otherwise, we’ll drift aimlessly, tread water, live with whatever comes our way, and hope our families can somehow survive life’s trials. Life with God-given purpose, though couldn’t possibly be more opposite.

One person with a God-given purpose can accomplish more than a thousand people with a possibility. God-given purpose doesn’t drift or float along. It charts a bold course, tracks progress, and redirects when blown off course. It may not be painless, perfect, or all planned out, but it’s always fulfilling, fruitful, and fascinating.

There are so many great “P” character qualities: Passionate, Patient, Peace, Perceptive, Persuasive, Polite, Possibilities, Positive, Practical, Prayer, Present, Principle, Productive, Propel, Prophetic, Protector, Provider, and more. If you know my kids, you’ll understand why Leslie’s P word was Present, why Josh’s was Prayerful, and why Caleb chose Prophetic. But Anna and I picked a P word that makes everything great in life possible: Purposeful – the rationale of character.

Purposeful:  The rationale of character

Purpose is God’s rationale – His big Why for you. Why did God create you? I want to discover the answer to that question for me, so that my family can discover theirs. Purpose is the cause propelling your effect. It’s what’s way down deep inside – your gut, your true self, and your unrelenting standard. It’s what you will die for and can’t live without, because it’s integral to everything and your integrity in everything.

Purpose is your boldness amidst apathy and calm during storms; your last stand and life stance. It’s both a mission and a ministry; a goal to accomplish and a calling to fulfill. It’s your calling, conviction, and determination no matter what. Bob Buford described it in his excellent book, Halftime: “The stuff that stirs within the heart’s holiest chamber is, I believe, a gift given to us all by our Creator.”

For purpose to be perpetuated, though, it must become practical. One way is “50-20-5-1,” a simple exercise in which you select 50 Pursuits that bring you joy, which you narrow down to 20 Priorities that you sacrifice to enjoy and, in turn, down to 5 Passions you’ll live for and 1 Purpose you won’t live without. It’s fun, eye-opening, powerful, and surprising.

For example, my musician son’s 1 Purpose was: “To be in tune with God.” After doing 50-20-5-1, Anna said: “How sweet to hear our kids’ hopes and dreams. It was humbling and a blessing …. I loved thinking through (it) and seeing on paper what I’ve known in my heart to be my purpose. What a great family experience.” And Leslie’s conclusion after 50-20-5-1: “The Holy Spirit is really released. Certain ideas will come to mind that they would have never thought on their own.”

The fruit of purpose

What’s the result of discovering and living for your God-given purpose? It’s the fruit that grows from fulfilled purpose:  joy, fulfillment, peace, anticipation, hope, passion, and freedom. These aren’t a buffet from which to pick and choose. Instead, the fruit of purpose is a single fruit, with all of them rolled into one. Much like how the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 is one fruit with many parts, the fruit of purpose contains inseparable flavors of one gift from God.

If God gives you a purpose (and He does), surely He’ll give you a passion to fulfill it . . . if you’ll discover it. After struggling for years, I finally discovered mine: “To help my family and others want what they need to be faithful.” Even if these 12 words don’t mean much to you, they grip my soul. These 12 words are my timeless what in a timeless way for a timeless why, yielding a timeless wow. Why? Because it’s God’s big why for me. How did God wire you . . . His big why for you?

Purpose isn’t a burden. It’s fun. It’s fruitful.  And it’s a joy, even when we get blown off course, lost in a sea of trials, or drift along in survival mode . . . because in our weakness He is made strong . . . and we’re open to fulfilling God’s grand purpose of glorifying Himself.

What’s your “P” character quality?

Click here for a Free Printable Workbook with instructions on how to choose your family’s 26 A-to-Z Secret Sauce ingredients.

Questions: How are you living out God’s purpose for your life? What “P” character quality would you want to model for your family, and why?