Living With Multifaceted Purpose

Those of us in the third third of life think a lot about purpose. Intuitively, we know that we need purpose if we’re going to live full, meaningful lives. But we’re also aware that purpose in life can be elusive as we age. When we were younger, we had a strong sense of purpose as we built our careers and/or raised our families. But when we graduated from the second third into the third third of life, it became harder to identify our purpose and be guided by it.

Is Purpose Singular?

We commonly speak of “purpose in life” (singular) rather than “purposes in life” (plural). This suggests that we should have one main purpose. Yet in reality, purpose isn’t usually so singular. In the HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose, John Coleman critiques the assumption that “purpose is a single thing” (p. 36):

“Most of us will not have one true purpose—maybe no one does. Rather, we have multiple sources of purpose in our lives. It’s not purpose we are looking for but purposes—the varied sources of meaning that help us find value in our work and lives.”

Coleman makes a valid point. When I was in my late forties, for example, if you’d asked about my purpose in life, I would have talked about serving God faithfully. But I would also have mentioned my purposes as a parent, a pastor, and a writer. So, did I have one purpose or several? Though I’m not in my late forties anymore, I still conceive of my purpose in terms of God, family, and work. Perhaps it would be better to talk about finding purposes in life rather than purpose in life.

Perhaps it would be better to talk about finding purposes in life rather than purpose in life.

Purpose as a Multifaceted Diamond

Having multiple purposes, however, does not satisfy our desire for some core purpose that ties together the various parts of our lives. We yearn for something uncomplicated that expresses the “why” of our lives. We resist the idea of having multiple purposes pulling us in multiple directions at once. We’d love to experience more coherence and focus in life, not to mention the motivation that comes from having a compelling “why” for living.

Rather than pitting the singular “purpose” vs. the plural “purposes,” we’d be better off envisioning a singular purpose with multiple facets. The analogy of a diamond will help us here. A diamond is a single thing of exceptional value, not unlike purpose in life. However, a single diamond suitable for jewelry is made up of many facets. A facet is a flat, polished surface on the outside of a diamond. Facets act rather like miniature windows that allow light to enter and exit the diamond.

Facets are essential to the beauty of a diamond. If you’ve ever seen an uncut diamond, you know it has raw beauty. But the vivid sparkle and exceptional splendor of a cut diamond come from its facets and the way they interact with light. Facets and diamonds need each other. You don’t have facets without a diamond. And you don’t have a diamond suitable for jewelry without facets.

So it is with purpose in life. Purpose is like a diamond because both are single and yet multifaceted.

Purpose is like a diamond because both are single and yet multifaceted.

Our Multifaceted Purpose in Scripture

Envisioning purpose as a multifaceted diamond helps us understand our purpose as revealed in Scripture. The Bible features a variety of expressions of purpose rather than one statement that says, “Your purpose is . . . .”

Consider these biblical passages about purpose:

Genesis 1:27-28 – As people created in God’s image, our purpose is to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and govern it.

Deuteronomy 10:12 – The purpose of the people of God is to fear, follow, love, and serve the Lord with all that we are.

Micah 6:8 – Our revealed purpose is “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God.”

Matthew 22:34-40 – Jesus explained our purpose as loving God with all our being and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Matthew 28:18-20 – Our purpose as disciples of Jesus is to make more disciples of people from all nations.

1 Corinthians 10:31 – Our purpose is to “do everything for the glory of God.”

Ephesians 1:11-14 – Our purpose, based on God’s purpose, is to live for the praise of God’s glory.

These are just a few of dozens of biblical passages that disclose our purpose.

Though the Bible speaks of our purpose in diverse ways, there is a common core in this diversity. This core has to do with our relationship with God and its implications for how we live. One might say that our main purpose in life is to be rightly related to God, which includes living as God intends. Simply stated, we are to love God and live for God. This is the diamond of biblical purpose.

Simply stated, we are to love God and live for God. This is the diamond of biblical purpose.

This diamond has many facets. When it comes to our relationship with God, our purpose includes fearing, loving, following, serving, walking with, and glorifying God. These aren’t distinct purposes so much as facets of the singular purpose of being rightly related to God.

The lifestyle implications of this relationship are also facets of our purpose diamond. Because of our relationship with God, our purpose includes the facets of being fruitful and multiplying, filling and governing the earth, doing justice, loving kindness, loving our neighbor, and making disciples.

Our Distinctive Individual Facets

No two diamonds are exactly alike. Each diamond has unique characteristics, though all diamonds share similar basic attributes. So it is with purpose in life. Though all Christians have the multifaceted purpose revealed in Scripture, we also have distinctive facets that reflect our distinctive personalities, talents, gifts, experiences, longings, roles, and callings. So, when it comes to purpose, we have much in common with others while, at the same time, our purpose includes a unique combination of facets.

You and I both share the purpose of serving God. For me, one essential facet of this purpose involves helping folks in the third third of life flourish. You may have a facet that’s like this one if you are also engaged in third third work. But you will probably not have this particular facet in your purpose diamond. Rather, your purpose of serving God will be lived through other facets, such as caring for aging parents, mentoring younger leaders, being a grandparent, running a business, volunteering at church, and so forth.

Living with Multifaceted Purpose

If you wish to live with multifaceted purpose, I’d encourage you to begin by considering your core purpose as revealed in Scripture. How are you doing when it comes to your relationship with God and living according to God’s intentions? Do you experience your purpose in life as loving and living for God? How might you grow in this experience?

Your purpose diamond has many facets and you’ll want to examine these as well. Review the list of biblical purpose passages included above. To what extent are these facets of purpose evident in your life?

Then reflect on the facets of purpose that are distinctive to you. What are these facets? How are these facets part of God’s purpose for you?

Living with multifaceted purpose isn’t something we master so much as something we keep on learning to do throughout our lives. Seeing our purpose as a diamond with many facets can help us live with significance and joy.