Is common sense becoming uncommon?
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Common sense tells us that statements of goals and purpose are products of mind rather than chance or pre-determination. However, there are some individuals, particularly within the scientific community, who maintain that this common sense understanding is incorrect.
They maintain that reality can only be understood in material terms such as electrons, protons and neutrons. By extension, they would say that we don’t really have free choice. Rather, free choice is an illusion, since our actions are predetermined in some mysterious way that cannot be articulated. It’s an interesting hypothesis but, as far as I’m aware, lacks evidential support.
With due respect to those who advocate for the view that our choices are predetermined by mysterious forces beyond our control, let’s go with common sense! As human beings, we can exercise free choice to come up with goals that establish where we’re going. These in turn can be used to inform action plans, including business and personal strategies.
Just as statements of goals and strategies are products of mind, so too are statements of purpose. In the business setting, corporate purpose is typically captured in mission statements. For example, these statements often begin with something along the lines of “our mission [aka purpose] is to help [so and so] by doing [such and such].”
What about the purpose of my life as distinct from the purpose of the organization I lead?
That said, what about the purpose of my life as distinct from the purpose of the organization I lead? What was I made for? Common sense tells us two things. First, my purpose must be the product of mind, since random forces don’t act with an end in mind. By definition, they simply can’t be purposeful. Second, logically speaking, the mind that dictates my purpose cannot be my own. After all, a computer doesn’t determine its own purpose. Rather, a person designs a computer to accomplish the purpose in her or his mind.
Indeed, questioning my life’s purpose precipitated my personal crisis of success. After receiving a big promotion at Citibank early in my career, I found myself asking, “Is this it? Is this the meaning of my life?” Up to that moment, I had manufactured my own purpose by setting goals and working hard to achieve them. My identity was thoroughly wrapped up in what I did and my motivation was success measured by rewards including compensation and promotions.
Suddenly, my life seemed pointless. Unwittingly, I had hit the “life-purpose” nerve and it seemed that nothing could dispel the resultant confusion and discomfort. Three years later, I encountered the person of Jesus Christ and my question of life-purpose was resolved. At that moment, I trusted Jesus as my Creator and Savior and, by logical extension, recognized him as the author of my life-purpose.
Today, my life-purpose statement is to know Jesus better and to better make him known. Have you asked God about His purpose for your life? It’s only common sense to ask this question of the One who designed you for His purpose!
Photo by Magda Ehlers
