How would you define your purpose? Seriously, what would you say? Have you come to terms with and declared a life purpose? Gotta great “Why”?

Many feel that purpose changes over seasons and stages of life. I'd argue that purpose shouldn't really change, just roles, relationships and locations. Those who carry overarching purpose stand tallest and strongest, focused and fulfilled, unbroken and uncompromised over time.

Atheist Bertrand Russell conceded this: “Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless.” But if He exists and made us, purpose goes on stage big time. It lands bigger than any other subject we can put on the table. And God should have the weigh-in and ultimate say. His definition counts most. Everything must flow from this.

And He does have profound things to say. The Bible is full of teaching, exhortation and stories of purpose – about people who have wrestled with, discovered, lost, maintained and recaptured purpose. I love finding myself in those stories and receiving those words. They are life-giving and purpose-fortifying to me.

Here's our main purpose, these six words – "to the praise of His glory." Everything else spins out of this.

To drill down a bit deeper, here are five purpose subpoints distilled from Scripture by Rick Warren in his well-known book, The Purpose Driven Life. We are:

1. Planned for God's pleasure
2. Formed for God's family
3. Created to be like Christ
4. Shaped for service
5. Made for a mission

Reflect: How are you doing in fulfilling your purpose, especially in these five subpoints? Are you loving and embracing those six words in Ephesians 1:14? Is that your purpose?