What If You Already Have a Purpose — Even If You Can’t See It?

Why the Resurrection Means You’re Not Drifting, You’re Called

There are few questions more persistent — or more quietly burdensome — than this one:
What is my purpose?

Sometimes it arrives in small, aching forms:
Why am I going through this? What’s the point of this season?

Other times it strikes with larger force, shaking the soul:
Does any of this matter? Am I just drifting through life without meaning?

Some ask that question with urgency. Others carry it quietly for years. But eventually, everyone faces it. And what we long for is not just an answer — we long for assurance that our life, even in its confusion or ordinariness, has meaning.

Ripples That Outlast Us

History is filled with world-changers — and mothers who had no idea who they were raising.

Mary Washington couldn’t have known her son would become the first President of the United States. Nancy Lincoln died when her son was just nine, never seeing him lead the country through civil war and abolition.

But it’s not just about famous names. It’s often someone quieter: a mother of a mother of a mother of someone God would use. Or the neighbor who noticed. The teacher who encouraged. The caregiver who showed up.

These lives might not have looked “purposeful” on the outside. But faithfulness has a ripple effect. Even if the impact remains invisible in the moment, it doesn’t mean it isn’t real. The most powerful purpose often looks like nothing more than small acts of consistent love.

Purpose Begins with Being Known

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). That’s where real purpose begins — not in striving, achieving, or figuring it all out, but in being known.

Think of a newborn child. That baby doesn’t understand its mother’s schedule or sacrifices. It doesn’t know the reasons behind the routines. But the mother knows her child. She loves, feeds, rocks, shields, and watches over that child with fierce devotion and gentle strength.

The mother has a purpose — even if the baby has no idea. And that purpose doesn’t depend on the baby’s understanding.

In the same way, the life of a Christian begins with being known by the Good Shepherd. The Apostle Paul once wrote, “Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God…” (Galatians 4:9). That is the foundation for a meaningful life: not that we understand our purpose fully, but that we are already known and loved by the One who does.

The child of God doesn’t need to understand God’s purpose in order to be part of it.

When Purpose Is Hidden

On Good Friday, everything looked like failure. Jesus was crucified. His followers scattered. The mission appeared over.

But then came Easter morning.

The resurrection revealed what had been hidden — that God was working all along, even in the darkest moment. What looked like defeat was actually the turning point of salvation history.

That’s what the resurrection teaches us about our own lives, too. What feels painful, confusing, or invisible may carry a deeper meaning not yet revealed. The risen Christ assures us that no season is wasted. God may be planting something sacred, even when all we can see is dirt.

Life is like a tapestry. From the underside, it looks like a mess — knotted threads, no clear design. But on the front side — the side only God sees — it’s a masterpiece. Each thread, no matter how tangled or plain, plays a role in the whole. And the thread doesn’t need to know the pattern to be part of the beauty.

Start with What You’ve Been Given

Purpose isn’t just about grand calling or high-impact outcomes. It’s about doing the next faithful thing with what you’ve been given.

Scripture puts it like this: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).

Everyone has something to give. Not everyone is called to preach or lead — but everyone is called to love and serve. And in those acts of service, purpose takes form.

Imagine someone whose entire ministry is making meals. Nothing flashy. Just food, delivered to someone grieving, recovering, or exhausted. And years later, it’s those meals — and the heart behind them — that people remember. Those simple, sacred acts are often the reason someone stays connected to God’s people.

This is purpose — not in a capital “P” sense, but purpose in a daily, faithful, embodied way.

Purpose Is Faithfulness

For those who feel lost or behind in life, here is the good news: you don’t have to solve the mystery of your purpose. You just have to stay close to Jesus.

For those who are older and wondering if their time has passed — it hasn’t. If you’re still here, God still has work to do through you. It may be prayer. It may be encouragement. It may be presence. You are needed.

For those in younger generations — maybe your calling is still forming, just beyond view. Stay open. Stay near to the Shepherd’s voice. Sometimes purpose doesn’t come as a thunderbolt. Sometimes it comes as a whisper.

And if you feel confident that you know your purpose — press on. Don’t give up. Even if it feels like you’re pushing uphill, your faithfulness may be doing more than you know.

A Song You Don’t Have to Understand

Picture a mother humming to her baby. The child doesn’t understand the tune or the lyrics. But something in that sound brings peace. Comfort. Connection.

That’s what it’s like to follow the voice of Christ.

We may not always know what He’s doing. We may not always understand where He’s leading. But His presence gives us purpose. His voice steadies our hearts. His resurrection secures our hope.

So trust Him. Follow Him. Use what you’ve been given to love others.
And remember: if you are walking with Christ, you are living your purpose — even if you don’t see it yet.