“It’s not about you.”

The opening line from Rick Warren’s perennial best-seller The Purpose-Driven Life is a powerful truth, isn’t it? In this world that screams for us to look out for ourselves and take what we can, the idea that it’s not really about us is both counter-cultural and hard to live.

How do we raise girls who grasp this truth? How do we teach our girls to walk in the purpose God has for them? And, if we’re honest, how do we manage that for ourselves as well?

With just over two years until my girl graduates from high school, questions like this one seem to weigh on me like never before. I want her to know what love really is, to be a good friend, to give grace, to see the needs around her. But most of all, I want her to know her purpose, the why behind all those other things.

In the Westminster Shorter Catechism, we learn the chief end of man is glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Jesus said it this way in John 15:8, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

We’re here to glorify God. He created us in His image, different from all of creation, to have relationship with Him. But what does that look like in the lives of our girls — whether they are 6, 16, or 46? How do we communicate God’s purpose to our girls and help them understand and walk in it?

First, we realize God’s desire for all of us is salvation.

John 3:16, such a familiar verse, reminds us Jesus came for all of us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We can never begin living in God’s purpose until we are saved. When we talk with our girls about what God desires for their lives, it must always begin here — salvation.

Second, we understand God’s process of sanctification.

Yes, it’s one of those big churchy words. But sanctification is simply the way God works in us to make us more like Him. For each one of us this process looks different, based on our experiences, personalities, and countless other factors. But the goal is the same: to conform us to Christ. Paul explains this process in Philippians 2:12 when he encourages us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Working out our salvation is the daily discipline of giving up more of ourselves in order to have more of Him. As our girls grow in their faith, we must be diligent to talk with them about how God is sanctifying them, working in them to help them become more like Him.

Third, we choose to be steadfast.

Life is hard. It’s hard for us. It’s hard for our girls. And one of the most beautiful ways we glorify God is being steadfast in the hardest seasons. When life is crumbling around us, we can choose to walk in faith, knowing His Word is true. One of the passages I’ve been turning to a lot lately is James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” When the hard days come, when the suffering feels suffocating, we choose to be steadfast, trusting God’s faithfulness to us and His hand providing for and protecting us.

Fourth, we share Who we know.

As we grow in Christ and experience His work in us, we want to tell others about Him. I think about the woman at the well. Remember her story? She met Jesus in the middle of the afternoon because she had to draw her water then in order to avoid the cruel words and malicious looks from the other women in her town. Jesus saw her, knew everything about her, and He offered her living water. She listened to Him, trusted Him, and then she ran back to her village, to the very people who had scorned and hurt her, exclaiming, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” {John 4:29}. When we encounter Christ and the hope He offers, what else can we do but share Him with those around us?

If you’re like me {and I’m sure you are}, you want your girl to walk in the fullness of all God has for her. You long for her to know He knows her and has a purpose for her life. Today, I encourage you to talk with your girl about her purpose. Explain to her that the best and most important thing we do is glorify God with our lives. Remind her He loves her and He knows her.

And, for you, sweet mom friend, remember all of this is just as true for you as it is for her!!

xo,

Teri Lynne

How is God teaching you to walk in His purpose lately?

P.S. I’d love to invite you to join me and the almost 1500 other women who are praying Scripture every day for the girls they love. We’re praying through Philippians this month and in April, we’ll be praying for our girls to know and live in the purpose God has for them.