How a Friendship with Jesus Helps you Discover your Purpose

by Michelle Turner

How to Find Purpose and Meaning in your Life-Start by Building a Friendship with Jesus

Have you ever accomplished something you had been striving for only to discover it didn’t feel as great as you thought it would? Maybe you have been happy, content even, but felt like something was missing.

I’ve been stuck there before, and I think that building a relationship with Jesus can help.

This article is part one of a part five series.

What to Expect in this 5-Part Series- Finding Purpose and Meaning in your Life.

I have some practical suggestions for how to go about building a friendship with Jesus, and I will get to that in just a minute, but first, I want you to know what you can expect from each part of this series.

There will be journal prompts to help you dig deeper into the day's topic. This week is about growing a friendship with Jesus.
There will also be a suggested activity related to the day's topic. This week's activity will help you deepen your personal relationship with Jesus.

Start with a Solid Foundation-Create a Friendship with Jesus

Sometimes we complicate things and make them more complex than they need to be. How do you start building a relationship with Jesus and discover his insight into your life? It is as simple as inviting Him into your day. By sharing your day with Jesus, you will begin to know Him and yourself better.

How Having a Friendship with Jesus Can Lead to Finding your Purpose

When you start walking with Jesus, you pick up on clues that he's giving you. These clues can guide you toward your purpose. This begins in friendship with Jesus.

If you don't know who Jesus is, you risk not knowing which way He is leading you because the world around you is competing for your attention. And that ultimately distracts you from finding your mission from Jesus.

Once you get to know Jesus better, you'll become more confident in His word. You'll see that He is good, and He wants good things for you.

Without a Personal Relationship with Jesus, you can Feel Like Something is Missing

If you're lacking a friendship with Jesus, you can drift from one idea to the next, hoping that it works and makes you happy. Even if you accomplish something you thought you wanted, you still might not be satisfied once you have it.

And that’s because something is missing. Jesus is missing. He wants to be a part of your life. And the more you let Him into your life, the more you realize how much you need and want him.

I've felt like something was missing before. I would try one idea after another. When I accomplished something that didn't bring me joy, I would try yet another thing.

That drifting from idea to idea reminds me of the following scripture:

Ephesians 4:14 (NIV) Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

Once you commit to building a friendship with Jesus, you get rooted in His word, His goodness, and His wisdom.

Practical Ways to Build a Friendship with Jesus

Start by believing that Jesus wants a friendship with you. Scripture tells us this is true.

John 15:13 (NIV): Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

For the longest time, I never tried to be a friend with Jesus, mostly because I felt like I was wasting his time. Like there are so many important things going on in the world with people genuinely suffering, who was I to interrupt Him. Let me tell you, these last couple of years have been humbling. I realized that I shouldn't determine the best use of Jesus' time!

From reading the Bible and discussing my faith with others, I know He loves us. He put down his life for us. And there truly is no greater friend than that.

Find a community of believers to learn and share with. Once I let the idea of Him laying down His life for those that He calls friends sink in, I was inspired to get to know Him better.

I looked into places I could learn more about Him. I wasn't exactly sure where to begin, so I did a generic Google search for Bible studies in my area. But nothing seemed to be what I was looking for.

So I did what I should have done from the beginning- I said a prayer, and I asked God to help me learn more about Him.

Then the most amazing thing happened. Within 15 minutes of that prayer, I received an email inviting me to attend something called Christ Hospitality.

The church I go to has religious education classes for kids. My daughter attended one night a week. This wonderful woman at my church felt called to create a community for the moms and dads during that time. Not only did God answer my prayer, but He did it in less than 15 minutes, so I would know that it came from Him.

Deepen your Relationship with Jesus with WOW Moments-Witness of Wonder

So these moments, like how I received an email within 15 minutes of asking for God’s help. Those are awe-inspiring moments to me. I know I’m not alone in seeing them. Some people refer to them as God winks. Others call them affirmations.

I call them WOW moments- a Witness of Wonder. These are times that something clearly happened from God. It’s like He's saying, Hey, I'm here. I hear you.

Over the years, I’ve been blessed to see many WOW moments. And the more I seek God in my day, the more aware I am of these moments.

The more you search for Jesus, the easier it is to recognize these moments.

I go into greater detail about discovering your WOW moments, what to do with them, and how they fit into the puzzle of figuring out your purpose here.

Why WOW Moments are Important

WOW moments are like a glimpse of a clue. These clues help you discover your purpose. It’s like you are on a treasure hunt and the WOW moments are the map.

Find-your-purpose-from-God-wooden-path-alongside-flowers

How to Build a Friendship with Jesus

Inviting God into your day by having a personal friendship with Him is important work. The great thing is it’s easy to do. Start talking to Him each day. Nothing formal, just talk to Him the way you talk to your friends.

The more you turn to Jesus throughout the day, the easier it becomes to recognize where He's working in your life.

A practical way to build a friendship with Jesus is to tell Him what’s on your mind. God created you, so rest assured that He wants to know whatever you want to share with Him.

Incorporate journaling into your day to find clarity on where Jesus is leading you. Each day take a few minutes to reflect on the day. Think about your mood, if you saw Jesus at work in your day, and any moments you felt good about or a moment that troubled you. Then jot down a sentence or two about it.

Benefits of Journaling to Discover your Purpose:

Journaling gives you a quiet space to put into words what you are feeling.

You start to see patterns and themes emerge over time. Learn more about recognizing patterns and themes here.

It reminds you not only to remember when you see God in your day but also to seek Him.

It becomes a written record of the times you recognized God being there for you. So when you are going through a difficult season and feel your prayers have gone unanswered, you can go through your journal and be reminded of God’s love for you.

A Lasting Friendship with Jesus

Building a relationship with Jesus is an ongoing journey, not a final destination. Remember to find joy in the process and seek His help forming a friendship.

And never forget He wants a friendship with you. He wants to get to know you, and He wants you to know Him.

Journal Prompts Inspired by Friendship in Scripture:

John 15:13. Greater love has no one than this to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Journal about what the word friend means to you.
Journal about what type of friend you think Jesus could be in your life.
Journal about what type of friend you can be to Jesus.

Invitation to be a Doer of the Word

James 1:22, NIV: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Activity to Grow a Stronger Friendship with Jesus.

Go on a walk either around your block or at a park.

While you're walking, think about what's on your mind and in your heart. Then have a chat with Jesus. Think of Him as you would a friend you were out walking with.

It really is that simple. The more you start having informal conversations with Jesus, the more you’ll want to share your day with Him. You’ll begin seeking Him more often, and you’ll start to discover where He is leading you.

I hope that you feel inspired to seek a genuine friendship with Jesus.

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