Purpose


Purpose. Meaning. Significance. Three words that pierce the heart of every human at some point in life. Why are we here? What are we created to do? What are we to accomplish? How can we make a difference?

Isn't it ironic that when compared to eternity, each human life seems so small and insignificant, but throughout the course of each life, so much time is spent searching for the true purpose, the true meaning, the true significance of life? As people, we spend our entire lives seeking to find ourselves whether that be through school, work, arts, athletics, or clubs. Day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, we apply ourselves, we give ourselves, we tire ourselves to ultimately make much of ourselves. I don't mean to make our daily endeavors seem so selfish, but in the grand scheme of things, they truly are. Maybe that is why we are never satisfied in our never ending search for significance.

My question about purpose is this-- What is truly going to matter when I am long dead and gone? What will resonate in the hearts of other humans when I'm laid to rest. What will leave a legacy? Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr. , Gandhi. Each one of these lives made an impact on not only their generation but also on the ones that followed. They left legacies. The one fact that pulls the strings of my heart the most is the purpose that these people share. Each one of these historical figures spent their lives in service and in gratitude rather than entitlement.

Unlike these legacies, our generation is on our way to leaving a legacy that is centered around the American Dream which promises wealth, comfort, and safety if we spend our lives making ourselves better. Not only will the riches, comfort, and safety we find be temporary and transient, but the satisfaction and happiness we find in ourselves will not endure.

So, where can we find a purpose that lasts? We will find our purpose in life when we deny ourselves. We will find it when we become the servant rather than the served. We will find it when we begin to place other's desires before our own. This purpose endures. This purpose affects generation after generation. This purpose makes a lasting impact even though our human lives are " but a mist-- here today and gone tomorrow."