Teenagers Are Wired for Significance and Life Purpose

Life purpose is a never-ending cry of the human heart. Our teenagers ask...

·Why was I born?
·What should I be when I grow up?
·What on earth am I here for?

We know that God elaborately wired and equipped all of us, including young people, to live the life we’re each meant to live. And it’s obvious that you want to help students discover who they were made to be and how they’ve been intricately outfitted and readied to fulfill God’s plan for their lives.

You’re probably well equipped to help teenagers understand their two main “everyman” or universal purposes, which are...

·Love God by belonging to Christ.
·Love God by loving others.

But, how can you help students discover their unique purpose in life?

·Glorify God by fulfilling your “This I Must Do” Dream!

This unique, individual, significant purpose is the “One Big Thing” God commissioned students—individually—to do to help build the kingdom. It directs teenagers to pursue their God-designed life mission and to deliver their God-inspired life message to those they are called to serve. Check out what Jesus had to say about doing such work:

“In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world” (John 17:18 The Message).

Our “This I Must Do” purpose is God’s personalized gift to each of us, and it’s a dream that reflects our passionate ache, our Divine Urge, our heart’s desire, and the fascination that was planted in our soul before we were even born. It’s what drives our life—what we feel we must do. It’s what we’recalled to do—what we feel we can’t not do! With your help, teenagers can ask God to reveal their life purpose, and then, they can make an informed decision about whether they’ll actually accept the huge assignment.

The Bible certainly is loaded with examples of this type of “Must Do” calling. Here are just a few:

·Noah, build an ark before the great flood (Genesis 6:9-22).
·Abram, go to the land I will show you—without knowing specifics (Genesis 12:1-3).
·Sarah, you’ll be the mother of nations at the age of ninety (Genesis 17:15-16).
·Moses, go to Pharaoh and demand the release of my people (Exodus 3:10, 20).
·Gideon, rescue Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6:12-16).
·John the Baptist, prepare the way for me (Luke 1:13-17).
·Virgin Mary, you’ll give birth to a Son, who will reign with an everlasting kingdom (Luke 1:27-38).
·Peter, feed my lambs (John 21:15-17).
·Paul, proclaim the good news to the Gentiles (Galatians 1:13-16).

So today, let’s look at two simple steps you can take to help teenagers on their quest for significance and purpose:

STEP ONE:Teach students about key topics that will help them unpack the details of how God has designed and wired them for significance. Talk with them about how they can cooperate with God to discover and fulfill their life purpose, rather than sabotage it. Use these six guiding principles as you plan your lessons:

·If I understand my spiritual gifts, best qualities, and finest values, I’ll see undeniable evidence regarding the specific life work God has assigned me.

·If I rethink my motives, relationships, and use of time, I’m better prepared to answer God’s call on my life.

·If I know myself well—my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—God’s “This I Must Do” purpose for my life will become clearer and more doable.

·If I pray for courage, perseverance, and miracles to help me accomplish my life mission, I’ll receive those gifts from God.

·If I accept the unique life purpose that God designed specifically for me, I’ll have a bold, passionate lifetime dream that far-exceeds my highest hopes.

·If I surrender my life to Jesus, acknowledging my role as a humble steward of all I’ve been asked to manage on earth, God will be glorified and I’ll be blessed.

STEP TWO:Teach students how to talk with their peers about such important matters. Yes, I’m talking about teaching them some conversational skills, as impossible as that often feels! They need your help in learning how to communicate effectively with one another, while building solid relationships. After you’ve emphasized the importance of opening their conversation with a very brief prayer to invite the Holy Spirit to guide them, you could also introduce these “active listening” skills:

·Listen reflectively.Focus fully on your Conversation Partner (CP) and quietly reflect on what you’re hearing. Think about the meaning of the words, not just about what brilliant thing you want to say next. If you prayerfully take in what your CP is saying, you won’t get distracted.

·Echo what you hear. After you listen reflectively, echo what you hear by repeating what you think your CP said. For example, you might comment: “I heard you say that.... Is that correct?” Then your CP can either agree or restate his/her thoughts. Echoing keeps you from putting your own interpretation on your CP’s words. It’s key to understanding him/her.

Teenagers want their lives to matter. They have God-given dreams, hopes, and longings—and they enjoy talking with someone who will not make fun of them, with someone who will affirm them about how they can make a difference in the world. They are wired for significance and life purpose. Let’s help them connect to God’s plan for their lives.

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Check out Katie's Way I'm Wired video curriculum to help teenagers discover the way they are wired and how they can cooperate with God to live the life they were meant to live.  Student and Parent books also available.
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Katie Brazelton, Ph.D., M.Div., M.A., is a bestselling author, Life Purpose Coach®, and founder of Life Purpose Coaching Centers International® (LPCCI). Currently, Katie is a professor at Rockbridge Seminary, but she served previously as a licensed minister at the purpose driven Saddleback Church in California. Her coach training organization, LPCCI, which is accredited by the International Coach Federation and the International Association of Continuing Education Training, teaches online and onsite, coed, coach training classes. Katie has two adult children, a daughter-in-law and son-in-law, and two precious grandsons.