Have I Lost My Purpose?
What was the hardest part about losing my sight suddenly at age 20?
There were so many challenges that accompanied the unexpected tragedy which occurred over 6 years ago.
Some of these hardships included losing my independence, having to adjust to a new way of living and engaging with the world, and enduring the frustrating search to find my purpose as someone with a disability.
Losing sight of my way, my plans for the future, and the purpose I thought I had for my life would be one of the hardest things I had to face.
At the time of my sight loss in 2015, I was on track to graduate college the following year, pursue a graduate degree, and begin a career in the field of Psychology.
In the blink of an eye, all of that disappeared and I no longer had a plan for what my life would be ten years down the road, let alone 10 months, weeks, or even days in the future.
A dark winding, empty road.
I had lost my purpose.
“What am I supposed to do now?”… I desperately wondered.
Any change or unforeseen turn in our lives can make us feel this way.
Like we have lost our carefully planned path, our contribution to society, or our reason for being here.
Think about it, what do you consider to be your purpose in life?
Has anything ever happened in your life that altered this purpose?
When I began to speak, write, and share about my journey with sight loss while also encouraging others through Christ in the process, I truly believed that God had granted me a wonderful new purpose.
However, I recently heard a comment that completely changed my perspective on this idea.
I was speaking to a small Bible study group when one of the ladies made the comment, “As children of God, we all have the purpose to glorify Him.”
Isaiah 43:7 reminds us that the sole reason we were created was for God’s glory.
“Everyone who is called by my name, who I created for my glory, who I formed and made.”
(Isaiah 43:7, ESV)
A sunshine filled, clear road.
You see, my purpose was the same even before I lost my sight… I was simply too lost spiritually to realize it.
No matter what happens to us here on earth, we are all ultimately here for one reason, to give glory to our wonderful, awesome Creator.
How can we fulfill this purpose? Matthew 5:14-16 gives us a great place to start.
It says,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In all the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:14-16, ESV)
It is no secret that we live in a pretty dark world.
What is the greatest enemy and challenger to the sin, temptation, and evil that lives all around us? Light!
We know from scripture that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12, ESV).
In this passage from Matthew, Jesus tells us that, as followers of Him, we have that light in us as well.
That light of Jesus Christ in us has the power to fight all of the shadows around us, but only if we display that light for everyone to see.
Sunshine beaming through shadows from trees that says, "That light of Jesus Christ in us has the power to fight all of the shadows around us, but only if we display that light for everyone to see."
As we live out our lives in a way that reflects Jesus and His character, we can create a spectacle of God’s love, mercy, and hope that will be impossible to ignore!
The goal is that when other’s see how we are living our lives, the joy we have, the peace we portray even in the midst of trial, and the hope we have even with an uncertain future ahead, they will want to know what the root of all of this is…
We can then point them not to our own strength, compassion, or peace, but to our Heavenly Father who provides all of this and much more.
That, my friends, is and will always be our greatest purpose, to glorify God and grow His kingdom.
The real question I should have been asking after losing my sight was not, “What is my purpose?”
Rather, I should have been asking, “How can I fulfill my purpose?” because I had the same purpose all along… sighted or blind.
Likewise, you have the same purpose as well, no matter your abilities, occupation, or characteristics. I pray today that God will guide you in using your unique circumstances to glorify Him!
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