Believe Bigger introduction CONFESSIONS I don't know my purpose. Five words that most of us as women of faith are afraid, even embarrassed, to say aloud. We talk around purpose. We encourage others to enter it. But so many of us don't truly, confidently know it for ourselves. That's okay. You're not alone. The majority of women on the planet--Believers included--don't know their purpose either. It's not popular for a Believer to confess that she loves God, and she trusts God, but she doesn't know why God sent her here, and she's not crystal clear as to what God wants her to do. But purpose is not supposed to be an ever-seeking, never-finding, illusive, impossible-to-grasp type of thing. God wants you to know what your purpose is. When we look at our lives, we see chaos. When God looks at our lives, He sees a map. He sees your beginning and your end, and all of Heaven (even right now) is constantly seeking to move you forward and closer to your divine destination. God is a God of impeccable order, intention, and structure. Nothing that has occurred in your life is a coincidence. Everything you've encountered--even the things that seemed awful--has been part of your journey. And while you might intrinsically know that you're on some kind of a journey, you may not know exactly where you are, where you're going, and most importantly, why you're ultimately here. We're going to explore that together. I'll help you see that your life makes more sense than you realize. That your past or even present pain is not a penalty. That there are hidden patterns embedded in your experiences containing God's direction and ultimate intention for your life. Your purpose isn't lost. Purpose isn't even something you find. It's something you uncover. God already designed you for it and you're already being guided by it. It's what led you to this book. During our journey together, it is my prayer to help you embrace it and enter it. You are more important than you can possibly imagine and more gifted than your mind can conceive. To live the life God intends, we must first put on God's lens. Truth is . . . you've created an outdated life and identity for yourself. It's probably focused on achieving success or comfort, or just avoiding conflict and failure. Your life, the way you know it right now, gives you a certain level of confidence, predictability, and let's be honest . . . control. But deep within, you know there is an unlived life waiting for you. One with only your name on it. One God has destined you for all along. You may not be able to fully see it, but you can sense it. It calls to you. You begin to thirst for it. A life of relevance. Substance. Confidence. Clarity. Impact. Beauty and elegance. A life soaked in divine significance. The simple secret to awakening your purpose is to understand how purpose works. Your life, you see, is a map made up of five key life stages. God intends for you to advance through each stage in order to enter your true purpose and fulfill your life mission. However, many of us are stuck in one of the five stages and don't even know it. I didn't. Over time, I discovered not only how to advance through the stages, but what God had been calling me to all along. In this book, I am going to share what I learned about God's peculiar path of divine reinvention so you can find your God-given purpose, too. I will help you understand your ultimate calling and show you the path (and beliefs necessary) to get there. But before you proceed further, be forewarned. Entering your purpose will first require an exit. To unleash the greater you, God will disrupt you and dismantle you. He will humble you. He will use any means necessary to get your attention. He will even break you so He can rebuild you anew. To fulfill your true life mission, you will have to unlearn who you have been, and muster the courage to discover who you really are, what you possess, and how God designed you. In the pages that follow, you'll see how purpose is often embedded in the middle of your mess. Frustration, betrayal, disappointment, health scares, sudden loss, career changes, and seasons of unexpected disruption and transition may be linked to the master mission God has you here to complete. I'm inviting you right now to look at purpose in a fresh new way. My intention is that as you turn each page in this book, you'll gain the confidence and clarity needed to be who God has already called you to be, and do what He has already designed you to do. Excerpted from Believe Bigger: Embracing Disruption As the Key to Divine Reinvention by Marshawn Evans Daniels All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
