Discover how a simple shift from “I have to” to “I get to” can transform your faith, mindset, and daily purpose.

Are You Drifting or Are You Living With Purpose?

Going Because You Have To vs. Going Because You Get To

If I’m being honest, I’ve been drifting for a while.

How do I know?

Because when I look back over the past season of my life, I’m not sure I have much proof that I’ve been moving intentionally in a specific direction.

I’ve been busy. I’ve been working. I’ve been traveling. I’ve been handling responsibilities.

But activity and progress are not always the same thing.

Too often I’ve found myself going places and doing things simply because I had to. Going through the motions. Meeting obligations. Checking boxes.

And while there’s nothing wrong with responsibility, there’s a big difference between living by necessity and living with purpose.

Lately, God has been showing me that I can approach life from one of two perspectives:

I have to.

Or

I get to.

That small shift changes everything.

The Reality of Everyday Life

Let’s face it—most of us spend a large portion of our lives doing things we don’t necessarily enjoy.

Laundry.

Dishes.

Sitting in traffic.

Writing reports.

Paying bills.

Working long hours.

Handling problems we didn’t create.

These responsibilities aren’t always exciting, but they are part of life.

The question is not whether these things exist.

The question is how we choose to approach them.

Many people spend years frustrated by the responsibilities in front of them because they only see them as burdens.

But what if those responsibilities are opportunities?

What if the dishes represent a family you’re blessed to have?

What if the job represents provision?

What if the difficult season is producing perseverance, wisdom, and character?

When we begin viewing life’s responsibilities through the lens of gratitude and growth, we stop merely surviving and start living intentionally.

That’s living on purpose.

Purpose Isn’t Always Grand

Sometimes we think purpose means changing the world.

Starting a ministry.

Building a business.

Writing a book.

Leading thousands of people.

And while God certainly calls some people into highly visible assignments, many of the most important purposes are fulfilled in everyday moments.

Purpose can look like:

• Being faithful at work.
• Being present with your family.
• Encouraging someone who is struggling.
• Serving when nobody notices.
• Choosing integrity when compromise would be easier.
• Praying for people who may never know you prayed for them.

Purpose often grows in ordinary soil before it produces extraordinary fruit.

Why God Places Certain People Around Us

One thing I’ve been realizing lately is that God has placed me in unique positions around people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives.

There are people I encounter every day whom I may not agree with.

People who think differently.

People who make decisions differently.

People who see the world differently.

But instead of viewing them as obstacles, what if they’re opportunities?

Opportunities to pray.

Opportunities to serve.

Opportunities to represent Christ well.

Part of my purpose is not to control people, fix people, or argue with people.

My purpose is to pray for them.

To pray that they would be led by God.

To pray that they would make wise decisions.

To pray that they would come to know Christ.

To pray that they would yield to Him and walk in reverence toward Him.

Because when God transforms a person’s heart, the impact they can have can be massive.

A changed life can change a family.

A changed family can change a community.

A changed community can change generations.

Stewarding Influence

Whether we realize it or not, every one of us has influence.

Maybe you’re a parent.

Maybe you’re a manager.

Maybe you’re a mentor.

Maybe you’re simply a friend who listens well.

Influence isn’t measured by followers, titles, or popularity.

Influence is measured by the impact you have on the people God places around you.

For me, living with purpose means being intentional with those people.

It means recognizing that God has entrusted me with opportunities to encourage, disciple, serve, and pray for others.

Not because I have to.

Because I get to.

Making the Best Use of Your Time

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
— Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV)

Those words challenge me.

Because time is one of the few resources we can never recover once it’s gone.

Every day we are either drifting or directing.

Either reacting or intentionally responding.

Either wasting opportunities or stewarding them.

None of us will do this perfectly.

But we can choose to wake up tomorrow and live with greater intentionality than we did today.

Final Thoughts

I’m still learning this myself.

I’m learning that purpose isn’t found someday in the future.

Purpose is found in how I respond to the opportunities God places in front of me today.

It’s found in gratitude.

It’s found in service.

It’s found in prayer.

It’s found in stewardship.

And it’s found in choosing to see life not as something I merely have to endure, but as something I get to participate in for the glory of God.

So let me leave you with a question:

Are you drifting through life, or are you living with purpose?