Purpose in Life
Many people drift through life with no direction. Yet God placed each of us here for a purpose — and His will, sought in prayer, is the path to it.
I notice many people wandering through life without a clear direction, and I pray that none of us ends up there. Each one of us has a purpose for which God placed us here — a unique plan, and a complete blueprint for our happiness.
Seeking God’s Will
An old abbot once told me that simply praying the Lord’s Prayer — asking that God’s will be done — is enough for a fulfilling life. When we seek His will in prayer, we open the door to a meaningful existence. Without that guidance, we may find ourselves in the wrong career, or beside the wrong partner.
Matthew 6:10Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Complete trust in God is essential. When I was a young man discerning my vocation, I hesitated at the thought of becoming a priest and perhaps serving in Africa or South America. God, as it turned out, had a different path for me. Even so, we must take our steps forward in faith and entrust our lives to Him.
Aligning with God’s Plans
Proverbs 8:32–34Now, children, listen to me; happy are those who keep my ways. Listen to instruction and grow wise; do not reject it! Happy the one who listens to me, attending daily at my gates, keeping watch at my doorposts.
Are you in harmony with God’s plans? When we surrender to Him, our lives can become truly beautiful. This does not mean we will face no hardship — we all carry our own crosses. But many people miss their true calling because they neither pray nor trust in God, and so their plans fall apart. They chase their own desires instead of aligning with His will.
When Paul came to the Corinthians, he wrote, “I did not come with sublimity of words or wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1–2). In Paul’s day there were many philosophers and competing schools of thought. One of them put it well: philosophy is man’s search for God, while theology is God’s search for man. Philosophy can prepare the way, but it is not the destination. Paul kept his eyes on Jesus — His life, His death, His resurrection, and the promise of eternal life — and on the one message that mattered: God loves you.
Paul also wrote, “Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away” (1 Corinthians 2:6). I have walked into communities that feel spiritually empty — houses lit up, yet vacant — unmoved by the good news of the Gospel. I have met professors who imagine themselves an elite, and politicians who place themselves above others. But what truly sets us apart is none of that. It is that we are children of God, and that is what makes us holy.
Walking with God
How often do we truly grasp God’s love? Do you know that God genuinely loves you? God is not a figure to dread; that fear is a lie the devil loves to tell. God has something wonderful in store for each of us.
1 Corinthians 2:9What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, what has not entered the human heart — what God has prepared for those who love Him.
Jesus says, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him” (John 14:21). We must walk with God; merely attending church is not enough. (This is the very heart of following Him — see A Call to Discipleship.) He asks us to open ourselves to His presence and to lead our lives according to His will. When we pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we admit that the things of earth often stand against the kingdom of heaven. Yet the kingdom of heaven will prevail in the end. (That is the great contest behind everything — see Kingdom of Heaven vs Kingdom of Earth.)
Navigating Today’s World
A powerful current is sweeping through our world and our nation — things we never imagined, and they fill people with fear. We see abortion accepted and morality turned upside down. We must live our faith honestly. There are not many truths; there is only one truth — God’s truth. (It takes courage to stand on it — see Have The Courage To Stand Out.) The Gospel tells us that God loves us, and that we are made to love Him in return. The world may look chaotic, but we must still face the greed and sin around us.
Dear brothers and sisters, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit. Do not hold your faith lightly, and do not imagine that simply showing up at church is enough. You may not feel your need for Him now, but trust me — one day you will. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. Our faith must be deeply rooted; if it is planted in this world, it will always be shaky. God asks for our faithfulness, not our perfection. We all have our sins — but that is not the point. The good news is that God keeps on loving us.
So remember this, hold on to it, and set about building the kingdom of God in your own life. Live fully, and always walk with the Lord.
John 14:23Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Chorbishop Don Sawyer — known warmly as Abouna Don — has spent a lifetime teaching the faith. His gift is making the rich tradition of the Church feel like a conversation across the kitchen table.
