A recent study made by Richard Leider and David Shapiro found that the number one fear that people have is to live a meaningless life. Finding one's purpose and fulfilling it is the deepest yearning of the human heart, even more compelling than fame or fortune.
Those who have had the most clearly defined purposes have been the leaders of the world. As Laurie Beth Jones stated in her book, The Path: "People with a clearly defined mission have always led those who do nothave one. You are either living your mission, or you are living someone else's."
One of our primary purposes at MorningStar is to help people find their purposes in God. Every Christian has a high calling, to be like the Lord, to do the works that He did, and to represent Him to this world. Because of this high calling, everything that a Christian does can have eternal significance for those around them. What could be more important than that?
"For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). This means that many come to know their callings, but few go on to fulfill them. Many are called to do great things, but they do not fulfill those callings because they do not give themselves to the little things. If we are not faithful in the little things we will not fulfill our purposes in life. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: "If you are a street sweeper, determine that you are going to be the best street sweeper who ever lived. Sweep streets like Michelangelo painted. If you become the best street sweeper who ever lived, the world will beat a path to your door to see the best street sweeper who ever lived."
The first step toward fulfilling our purposes is to understand that there are no insignificant tasks. The people who become the greatest at great things are also usually great at everything they do. Those who do great things have greatness in them, not just in their tasks. If you will do whatever you are doing now with all of your heart as unto the Lord, and if you will face every task with that passion and a devotion to excellence that His work deserves, you will do great things because greatness will be in you. Remember, you were made in the image of God who does all things well.
I have been privileged to know some of the most successful people in the fields of business, sports, entertainment, government, the military, and ministry. I have observed success from many vantage points. The reasons for success are the same in every case, and they are strikingly simple. Leo Tolstoy, possibly the greatest writer who ever lived, started one of his classics with an insight that applies here: "Every happy family is alike. Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." The secret to success in almost any field is the same, and it is easy to understand. Failure is much more complicated.
The principles for success are basic and simple. If you try to make them more complicated than they are you will fall into the traps that keep people from their purpose. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (II Corinthians 11:3).
The shortest route to knowing your purpose and fulfilling it is to do all that you are given to do with all of your heart, as unto the Lord. Whatever you have now been given to do, do it like Michelangelo painted. The world may or may not ever take note of it, but the Lord will. He will trust you with even more talents if you treasure and use well the ones He has already given you.