I listened intently, scribbling notes as quickly as I could. After all, this was a topic that was dear to my heart and I wanted to soak up all the little nuggets of wisdom from this expert.
He’s written several bestselling books, coached thousands and mentored just as many. Thought to be the world’s leading expert on leadership, I was literally sitting at his feet.
How does one live a life of purpose?
How do you move from average living to purposeful living?
I was all ears.
As most good webinars do, they ended with a call to action.
It was an invitation to sign up for a 5-part video course to the tune of a couple hundred dollars. This, the expert suggested, would transform you from standard living to extraordinary living. All because you were given the tools and encouragement to live every day with purpose.
Who’s in?
I immediatlely started justifying the investment. I just knew that if I didn’t sign up within 72 hours I’d be missing out on something great.
Have you been there?
Do you have a fear of missing out?
Do you look at others who are walking in their purpose and think that somehow you missed the boat?
Maybe it’s the age we live in, but we often fear missing out, don’t we? There are so many offerings, so many resources available to us that we think if we don’t snatch them now, we’ll be left behind.
And this one, I mean, it would help me fly. Isn’t that what I want?
Suddenly, I was struck with a moment of clarity.
Don’t get me wrong. Had circumstances been different, I might have signed up on the spot. Purposeful living for $199, yes, please.
But recently God has been working on me in a different way. And my fear of missing out was about to be trumped. You see, the lessons He’s teaching me are taking root and I humbly share them with you here.
Lessons on Purpose When You Fear You’re Missing Out
If you feel that purpose opportunities are passing you by, read on for some soul-stirring truth.
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Blessings flow for those who trust God and wait on Him
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
It’s so tempting to look around at the accomplishments of others and wonder if I’m being passed by. This comparison trap steals my joy and always leaves me feeling less than. Knowing this, God calls us to look to Him.
When we trust Him, delight in Him, commit to Him, be still before Him and wait patiently on Him, we will be blessed. Did you catch that?
It’s all about Him!
The plans He has for me will be accomplished in His good time. I need to keep my eyes on Him, do my part and wait on Him to do His.
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God is accomplishing a greater purpose
The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
The world wants me think that everything revolves around me and my desires. There is no disputing that God has great plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11) but it’s really God’s Plan that is front and centre.
I might not always grasp what He’s doing on this side of eternity, but I can rest assured that He’s accomplishing His purposes for all generations.
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God has already given me everything I need
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
As tempting as a 5-part ‘life-transforming’ video series might be, I have something even better. God’s divine power was included in the package when I signed up to follow Him — at no extra charge.
Sadly, the devil wants us to believe that 1) we are lacking and 2) God’s Word is outdated and irrelevant. Those are both lies.
When you have a problem that needs solving, start with God’s Word.
Not sure which direction to take? Consult Him in prayer.
You will find that He’ll even put people in your path to speak a word of truth at the right moment when you need it. Sometimes all we have to do is listen.
And know this, my sister, you are chosen and complete!
Take Heart
So, take heart, friend. Don’t let your fear of missing out cause you to doubt God. Focus on pleasing Him and trust that He has you covered.
Do the next right thing and He will do the rest.
And for making it to the end of this post, here’s a bonus for you. If you’re curious about how to move from ordinary to extraordinary living, there’s really no secret to it. It’s right there in 2 Peter 1: 5-8. Just click to read. Psst…it won’t cost you a thing!
What about you?
Have you experienced the fear of missing out?
How do you deal with it?
Is there a particular scripture that gives you hope? If so, please share it in the comments to encourage a sister. Remember, we’re in this together.
This is Part 3 of the #LifePurposeFull series. Follow the rest of the #LifePurposeFull series here:
Introduction: In Pursuit of Your One Thing
Part 1: 3 Truths to Embrace on Your Path to Purpose
Part 2: How to Find Your Missing Piece
Part 4: How to Make Your One Thing, the Main Thing
And to see what purpose looks like in the lives of real women, pull up a chair and grab a note book. These eight women blessed my socks off with what they shared in this post:
Powerful Purpose Thoughts to Ignite Life to the Full
Be sure to sign up for Sparkle Highlights so that you’ll receive email updates on future posts. Just for joining the Sparkle community, I’ll send you a free set of P.R.A.Y. scripture cards.
I pray that you will be motivated and encouraged on your path to purpose!
Wishing you blessings,
Please spread the shine and share this with your friends using the share buttons below.
And if you’re looking for more encouraging and inspiring content, check out these amazing sites where I link up my weekly posts.
Marva,
I love this! So many great reminders! Focusing on what others are doing – where they are- what their purpose is – really distracts us from the joy of living out OUR purpose given to us by a mighty God with a great big plan! It was so great to see you back this week! I’ve missed you! Thanks so much for sharing hope alongside me at #MomentsofHope!!
Hugs,
Lori
It was good being back, Lori. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit you more often and share in the beautiful #MomentsofHope. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your sparkle with us. 🙂
Marva there is a lot of great wisdom here and I think it does all begin with God and trusting His heart and timing for our purpose even when it is not clear. I’d love for you to join the Fresh Market Friday linkup because it’s all about living out our God given purpose with intention and passion:)
Hi Crystal, thanks for your kind words and for suggesting Fresh Market Friday linkup; I’d love to check out. It sounds like a linkup I’d really enjoy.
By the way, I’m so glad you stopped by again because I just rescued your previous comment from the spam folder (yikes!). Clearly, it wasn’t but you know these little bots have to earn their keep. 🙂
oh, boy – have I been there – and have sometimes paid the $197.00! funny how we can be so sure of God and our eternity but wonder if we’ve missed a step or direction that would somehow make all the difference. great post!
Aren’t we a funny lot, Sue! 🙂 I imagine God must have a really big chuckle at us sometimes. But I love that He sees beyond our silliness and keeps pointing us to His truth. That’s such sweet grace!
This is SUCH an inspiring and encouraging read full of great TRUTH, my friend. I am sharing this, so even more women can have faith in God’s purpose for their lives. Your insight and wisdom along with God’s Word was SO on point.
Thank you for nourishing me in a very personal way.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful words, Christine. I am moved by how God is touching lives and reminding each one of us of the hope we have on Him. He really is such a personal God, taking the time to meet us where we’re at and inspiring us to reach even higher.
Blessings to you, dear friend.
I just missed the deadline on a submission for incourage by, literally 15 minutes because my computer is issue ridden this week. I began to tear myself apart. It was such a heartfelt and gentle story. It was authentically me. I so wanted to take this step. So, now I move forward through my day, working on letting it be and not destroying myself in angry and bitter chastise. So. Yes. Your words. Timely and true.
Oh Lisa, I feel your pain. You were so close and I imagine it must be so frustrating for you. There is an audience who’s ready and waiting for your story and I pray that the perfect opportunities will present themselves at the perfect time. Because after all, our perfect God doesn’t make mistakes and I have a feeling He has something GOOD in store for you. He always does. And His timing is perfect. We don’t always see it until after, but I hope that you will believe that this morning.
Sending you a big hug!
and I missed it by a day – forgot! (I get it)
I try to focus on what I can do, what I can control, what I can contribute -Let God be God and Me be His Servant. This fills each day with purpose and makes it more tangible for me.
Amen for that, Sarah. Your words are such sweet encouragement to my soul this morning. Love this!
Marva, just saw this on Pinterest!! Great truth here! Thank you for bringing us back to the purposes of God!
Thanks for clicking over, Lisa. This is something that I’ve been grappling with and I’m happy to share what my journey looks like in hopes that others will be blessed. I’m honoured that God uses my little efforts to speak His truths.
Hugs to you, my friend!
Marva! Wouldn’t it be great if we could just buy purposeful living for $199?!? But what blessings we would miss along the journey. I love each point and corresponding verse. Thanks so much for this post!
For someone who likes quick and easy, I have to admit it’s tempting. Lol. But you’r so right, Jennifer. God purposefully takes me on the scenic route so that I can meet Him around every bend. And what a blessing that is.
Thanks for visiting and sharing your sparkle with us!
Wow, Marva! SO much wisdom and truth in this post. I think we all can relate to feeling like we might be missing out on something in life. Life is so short, so precious, that we fear we won’t have time to accomplish what we want to accomplish or live how we want to live. But the real living starts with finding our purpose in GOD and GOD alone. Thanks for this reminder. <3 XX
Lauren, it took me a while to realise that real living starts with finding our purpose in God. And to be frank, I’m still such a work in progress but I’m so grateful to be under God’s transforming power. What a difference it makes!
Blessings and sparkles to you, my friend.
God just spoke to me through your post to the tune of “Sit tight, I haven’t forgotten about you.” I had just finished my quiet time and expressing to Him to confirm to me the ways I am spending my time. Galatians 6:9 is a verse I’m working on memorizing and next is James 1:12. Both have a lot to say about persevering in your call. Thank you for your encouraging message!
Karin, don’t you just love how God speaks to us? Amazing!
I know waiting isn’t easy but I pray that your eyes will be open to the blessings that He’s showing you even in this season. Keep on keeping on, dear sister!
By the way, I love Galatians 6:9 — it’s one of my faves. 🙂
What a great word, Marva! Love this post.
You are so right on with your points. #1 resonates with me, “Blessings flow for those who trust God and wait on Him.”
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful and encouraging word today!
And, thanks for allowing me to play a little role!
Sure am blessed by you~
Melanie
Melanie, I’m so grateful for your heart to lift up and encourage others. It’s clear that you are a woman who is living out her purpose every day and I’m so glad we get to learn from you. Thank you for willingly sharing your heart with us, my friend.
Wishing you blessings!
This is so rich Marva, I love this series, and hope to go back to read the one’s I missed. I have been on a journey waiting and listening to God for guidance, also at times tempted by all these quick fix purpose lessons offered on the internet..but your words here remind us where we need to be, right at the feet of Christ, listening for God’s guidance, trusting He has a plan for us for sure! I love your faith and just know God has beautiful plans for you!! Such a great blog today!
You are in my prayers, Kathy. Enjoy your time at His feet and be amazed at how He will move — all in His time. For that reason, I’m praying for patience and continued faith for you, my friend. Hugs <3
Oh, Marva, I just love this post! You promised at the beginning of this series that you would seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance along the way and it is so evident that you have done that. Such wisdom shared here! And that verse you shared is absolutely priceless! Thanks for allowing God to speak through you to bless so many of us.
Thank you so much, Carlie. God is certainly showing up and I’m humbled by the truths He’s speaking to my heart. I’m glad that I get to share in the journey with you and all the other amazing women whose hearts are eager to serve Him. Hugs!!!
Yes, I sometimes fear missing out (half the time it feels like I am)! God does have the best timing though. I just need to remember that when I’m itching/excited/anxious about something.
This series is great – purpose is something we should always be checking in on. We live in a flawed world and sometimes it distracts us from our Godly purpose.
Thanks so much for sharing Marva.
xoxo
Oh my goodness, I can so relate to this. Doing things out of fear of missing out. Not out of knowledge that it is the right thing to do. Don’t think I’ll ever be tempted to spend that much on a course though!
Haha, Alice. Well it sure did tempt me. 🙂
It’s hard to get perspective when there are so many opportunities coming at us but I’m learning to step back and put my God-coloured glasses on. He makes all things clear in His time.
Thanks for stopping by!