Proverbs 16:9, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

I want to start today’s devotional by inviting you to put your hand over your heart. Go ahead, right now, put your hand right over your heart. Do you feel that beat? You are alive for a reason. That beating is your purpose, that’s your drum, and you’re just going to start following the beat of your own drum. You are alive today for a reason.

Now here’s the truth about that statement, and the problem that comes with it. When I tell you that you’re alive for a reason and that heartbeat is a sign of purpose, do you automatically start stressing out trying to figure out what it is? Do you feel the overwhelm and pressure of, “Ok, well why? Why am I alive? What is my purpose? What am I supposed to be doing? Oh my gosh! What if I’m too late? What if I’ve missed it? What if I’m screwing it up? What if I’m on the wrong path?”

You’re not alone. That’s the way most people feel when we start talking about purpose. But Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

You see we don’t need to be all flustered and upset and overwhelmed and stressed out about why God put us on this earth and what our purpose is in this life, God is telling us, “Hey, don’t be so anxious about this. Hey, be grateful for this present that I’ve given you. Just come to me with your requests and let my peace fill you.”

Maybe that’s exactly what you need today? You don’t need to go on some huge quest for your purpose, you need to decide not to be anxious about it and trust God with it.

You’ve likely heard the serenity prayer; “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Awesome stuff written many years ago. But there’s another part very few of us know, you may have never even heard it, and certainly few of us are living by it. Here’s the rest of the Serenity Prayer, “Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardships as the pathway to peace. Taking as he did, the sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that he will make all things right if I surrender to his will. That I may be reasonably happy in this life and extremely happy with him forever in the next.”

Right there is the key to living well today and fulfilling our purpose. It’s living this day, today. Not worrying about tomorrow, but enjoying this moment. I will tell you, the way I have found my greatest purposes in life isn’t by stressing over them. It’s not even by reading a ton of books, but it’s quite simply by letting life flow through me.

Is life flowing through you? Won’t you just breathe, trust, and keep your eyes open? Enjoy the ride and see what unfolds. And as you let life flow through you, it’s then that you begin to hear the beat of your own drum. May you have serenity today. May you not be anxious about anything. And may you remember Proverbs 16:9, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

You can have a million and one plans, but trust that it is God who establishes your steps. You don’t have to have this whole thing figured out. You don’t have to have a ten step plan, because guess what? Even if you do, it’s likely not going to work out the way you think it will. So, I’m inviting you to stop stressing over your purpose and just let life flow through you today.

Overthinking kills your happiness. Insecurities kill your confidences. Doubts kill your possibilities. So stop thinking so much, stop tearing yourself down, stop playing little in your own life, stop questioning.

Today, let life flow through you. Begin to notice the beat of your drum. The heart beat that tells you you have a purpose, you’re here for a reason. Trust God to establish your steps. Trust that he’s going to make all things right as you surrender to his will.