April Practise of Purpose

Naming Your Unique Angle

A story in the Bible that intrigues me is the story of David and Goliath. I’ve wondered how a little shepherd boy could walk up to a crowd of terrified warriors, hear of a giant that no one is strong enough to fight, and jump into the ring without seeming to show one ounce of fear or trepidation. Some say David could do this because he had faith in God, which I think is true. However, when I took this logic upon myself, I looked at everything that I wasn’t brave enough or interested enough to do, and I was ashamed.

Lately, I’ve been wondering if there’s more to the story. Could it be that for years David had been practicing his purpose with God. All the sheep that needed watching and tender care. All the beasts that needed defeating. All the times he stepped out in faith and watched God work alongside him. Could it be that David was so trained up in his specific angle that when he saw the challenge of Goliath, he instinctively knew what to do and knew what it would feel like to do it with God as his partner?

Consider those tasks you’ve done a million times and those clues you’ve learned to recognise from a mile away. Somehow you instinctively know what you need to do to bring a bit of hope. You may not know you are doing it. It just seems to happen. Whether you know it or not, God has coached you into right where you are. You’ve been practicing all along.

The good news is that practice has made these things intuitive. The bad news is that what comes intuitively can be a challenge to recognise. It takes a bit of effort, but you can get there. The key here is the naming process. It is being able to put into words what God has designed you to see and to intuitively know what to do about it.

When God allowed His people to name things, it was a holy moment because they took responsibility for them. Adam named all the creatures and accepted responsibility. Hagar named God “El Roi”. When she did, she changed her life to take on the identity of the child of the One Who Sees. When God gave people a new name, He also gave them a new identity (see Abraham & Peter). They were changed after the naming: they saw who God called them to be, confidently embraced it, and chose to live differently.

There is power in naming what is God-given. It shows God that we see what He has given us, and that we are in awe of the power of it. It shows God that we accept it gratefully and that we are willing to walk in it, practise it, and pray for His specific equipping. Naming helps us understand the specific value of what we have been given. It gives us something we can visualise. It gives us something we can practise.

There’s something incredible that happens when you see a problem you were designed to solve and intentionally do something to make it better. It’s more than just the joy of generosity, it is a deep-seeded knowing that you are doing what you were designed to do and that you are making this world a better place for someone. It is a catalyst of meaning and a catalyst of wonder.

This month’s practise of purpose is an activity to help you put into words your unique angle. You can access it below.