Purpose Beacons

A Sense of Purpose

Life is profound and serious business. In the same vein, the earth is a vast playing field with each of us as players. We train, play, get injured, sometimes earn a red card, or ultimately get substituted. Every human being shares certain conditions in common. We were all planted on this large space without prior consent, and while in the void, we received no training on how to navigate existence.

We are meant to play the game of life—not as children do with sand and objects, passing time in self-gratification, but as the Creator of life (God) intends us to play it. Scripture suggests that there is only one true way to engage in this game: by playing the game of Purpose. Yet purpose has arguably become one of the most misunderstood words in our world, often used interchangeably with destiny.

Purpose is not individualistic and does not die with an individual. It is not merely the vocation or profession in which one engages. On the contrary, purpose is a universal calling for humankind. It is that strong inner impulse to live for the sake of humanity.

The origins of purpose are illustrated in Genesis 2:18: “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.’” Adam was not alone in the literal sense, he was surrounded by diverse animals and birds yet there remained a deep-seated void within him. Thus, God created the Woman to fill Adam’s void as a companion and helpmeet.

Eve was made to be a woman of purpose, and so is every human who came after her. A person of purpose is one who recognizes the world as God designed it: a near-perfect creation that has since been disfigured by hate, hunger, hopelessness, injustice, inequality, and inhumanity.

In today’s world, especially in developing nations such as Nigeria, human living conditions are often bleak. Many are forced to forgo even the most basic needs. In Nigeria, a nation of more than 200 million people, 63% of the population—representing 133 million people—live in multidimensional poverty, according to the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index Survey of the National Bureau of Statistics. The figure rises to 72% in rural areas.

Amidst global climate and economic crises, Nigeria continues to top the global chart for homelessness, with 24.4 million people displaced. Harsh government policies and rapid urbanization further fuel this problem. Similarly, Action Against Hunger reports that, despite there being more than enough food produced globally, 783 million people live with chronic hunger. Nearly one in ten people around the world go to bed hungry each night. This includes 14 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Consequently, hunger and related causes account for 45% of child deaths worldwide.

In our era, perhaps more than any other, people are overwhelmed by life’s burdens and by the injustices inflicted by neighbors and leaders alike. The result is a spreading sense of hopelessness and emptiness—echoing the void Adam felt in Genesis 2:18 and 20. This despair is also reflected in the grim global suicide rate. According to the World Health Organization, 703,000 people take their own lives each year.

It takes a sense of purpose to transform a human being into a person of purpose. Such a sense allows us to confront these harsh realities with compassion, to determine in our hearts that we will be dispensers of love and hope, and to contribute to making the world fairer and more humane. A sense of purpose helps us embrace the divine duty to leave the world better than we found it. And when hate, hunger, injustice, and evil thrive, it is only because humanity has failed to heed the call of purpose.

Heeding the Call of Purpose

The first step toward heeding the call of purpose is to recognize the vanity of life and its struggles, and then to commit to living a selfless life of love in relation to others. Life is but a fleeting moment, an opportunity to be and to do good to those for whose sake we are here.

The story of Alexander the Great illustrates this truth with striking clarity. After conquering kingdoms and territories, Alexander was returning home when he suddenly fell ill. On his deathbed, the great conqueror realized that his vast army, his sharp sword, and the wealth he had amassed were of no consequence. Helpless and near death, he made three last wishes to his loyal generals.

First, Alexander wished that only his physicians would carry his coffin.

Second, he asked that the path to his grave be strewn with gold, silver, and precious stones from his treasury.

Finally, he wished that both his hands be left dangling out of the coffin.

Perplexed by these strange requests, the generals asked their king the reason behind them. Alexander drew a deep breath and replied:

“I want my doctors to carry my coffin so that people may realize that no physician can truly save anyone from the mighty hand of death. Life must never be taken for granted.”

“My second wish is to scatter gold and precious stones on the road to the graveyard, to show that none of these riches can accompany me. I spent my life amassing wealth, yet cannot take even a fraction with me.”

“As for my third wish, my hands must dangle outside the coffin to remind people that I came into this world empty-handed, and empty-handed I leave it.”

The story reminds us that the most basic longing of every human heart is not wealth or conquest, but love and acceptance. Regardless of age, color, or status, we all crave respect, belonging, and a helping hand in times of challenge. But why then are so many in our societies unloved? Why do we treat some classes of people as if they are lesser humans? Why do we turn blind eyes to those in need?

The words of St. Teresa of Kalkata ring true: “There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our life—the pain of loneliness and lack. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your family. Find them. Love them.”

Love is therefore the first step in answering the call of purpose. It must drive our entire being.

The second step is to discover our divine deposits—our talents and potentials—and to exploit them for the service of humanity. Many people make the mistake of believing they are accidents, created without gifts. This mindset distorts how they see themselves and how they live. But no one is born by mistake, and no one is born talentless. Our births are divine designs, and within each person lies a deposit that speaks of purpose.

The parable in Matthew 25:14–30 illustrates this: a master, before traveling, entrusted his servants with his wealth. To one he gave five talents, to another three, and to another one. Each received according to his ability.

Many still fall into the error of comparing their talents with those of others: “Why did God bless Mr. A with intelligence, Mr. B with a golden voice, but curse me with only a heart for people?” or “Why give me something as insignificant as humor?”

Such thinking is flawed in two ways. First, no talent is insignificant in the scheme of purpose. Every gift, if fully cultivated, can touch countless lives. Second, God, knowing our strengths and weaknesses, gives each person talents suited to them. He makes no mistakes in His endowment.

What matters is not how many or what kind of talents a person receives, but whether they are discovered and used. These deposits are not mysteries locked away; they are divine gifts that rise naturally to the surface, calling us by name, endearing us to others, and pointing us toward service. Our role is simply to pay attention and yield.

Those who have discovered how they are meant to serve humanity do not easily let go. They cling to their calling because it gives them reason to withstand life’s storms.

The Storms of Life Will Come

There are four major truths about life. First, life is a precious gift of God. Second, it is transient. Third, life is an opportunity to improve the lot of other human beings. And fourth, it is subject to pain—physical, emotional, and psychological. This last truth is the primary concern of this chapter.

Biblically, there was only one period in history when the world was perfect and free of pain, sorrow, or suffering. That era stretched from creation until the first act of disobedience, when Adam lived in harmony with the animals and the earth itself bore no curse. During that time there was no sickness, no toil, no accidents, and no death.

But when Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, everything changed. God confronted them and declared judgment:

> “Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree… cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee… In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return into the ground; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

— Genesis 3:16–19

Since that pronouncement, misfortune has become woven into the fabric of human existence. No one is immune. Job captured it clearly: “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure” (Job 14:1–2).

These misfortunes and heartaches are what I call the storms of life. They may appear as poverty, disability from birth or accident, the loss of parents or loved ones, unemployment, divorce, teenage pregnancy, temporary failure, or painful delay. Some storms are self-inflicted through poor choices, but many are divinely orchestrated.

People respond to these storms differently. For the majority, misfortunes drain joy, sap enthusiasm, and force a choice between two evils: to give up on life, or to live embittered and defeated. Either way, purpose is lost.

For a few others, however, no storm, no matter how heavy, signals the end of the world. When faced with tragedy, they mourn, they weep, they stumble, but then they rise again. They see storms for what they are: temporary setbacks, giants to be slain on the way to destiny. As St. Paul testified, “The things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12).

History is filled with such examples. Each of the world’s greatest men and women endured storms of staggering proportions. Their greatness lay not in avoiding adversity but in refusing to drown in it. They transformed challenges into stepping stones and let their storms fuel their purpose:

Birth a woman blind and deaf, and you have Helen Keller.

Incarcerate a man behind prison walls, and you have Nelson Mandela—or Joseph in Egypt.

Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have George Washington.

Deafen a musical genius, and you have Ludwig van Beethoven.

Raise children in a world poisoned by racism, and you have Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack H. Obama.

Call them slow learners, dismiss them as incapable, and you will have Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Ben Carson.

Let him be born in poverty, and you will have Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

The wisdom is clear: it matters less what storms we pass through than how we rise from them. The stories of great men and women stand as reminders that there is always hope for the one who refuses to be defeated.

Will it Be Worth It In The End?

Certain questions have consistently troubled the minds of philosophers: What is the purpose of life? Will all the pains and struggles be worth it in the end? These questions have echoed across generations, often without final answers.

On his part, Solomon declared in Ecclesiastes 1:2–3 that life is useless: “You spend your life working, laboring, and what do you have to show for it?” He reinforced this thought in verse 14: “I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless; it is like chasing the wind.”

But after his deep reflections on life, Solomon’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 strikes a different chord: “After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God and obey his commands, because this is all we were created for. God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.”

In contrast to his earlier view that life is meaningless, Solomon ultimately affirmed that life has purpose. We were created to reverence God and obey His commands. And all of God’s commands are summed up in one: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We love our neighbors not only in thought but in action, by wishing them well and doing good to them. Jesus clarified this when He told His disciples: “Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Life is a gift, but by nature it is transient. Our today can easily become history tomorrow. And so, the enduring question remains: What will our tomorrow look like? What will it say about us?

Life rewards those who endure its storms and put their talents to use, sometimes with riches, recognition, or influence. But beyond wealth and affluence lies the greater reward: eternal rest and fulfillment. This belongs to those who not only lived but fulfilled their purpose, those who gave of themselves and shared their earthly possessions with others.

As is often said in Christian circles: “What you do for yourself dies with you. But what you do for others will live forever.”