Finding Purpose in Everyday Moments Because What You Do Matters

Have you ever felt like you're on a treadmill, wondering if what you're doing really matters? Have you ever found yourself at what looks like a crossroads, questioning your purpose and wondering if your current circumstances matter? What if your purpose isn't a distant goal but something already available, waiting to be discovered in the everyday moments?  

Three years ago, I experienced a pivotal moment when the thrill and luster of my corporate career faded, leaving me feeling purposeless and confused. I felt like my job, which was where I spent the majority of my time, didn’t matter.  

Then, out of the blue, a ministry opportunity popped up that felt like a dream job. I thought that this work would matter. My excitement about that offer quickly turned into disappointment when the logistics didn’t work out and I had to stay in the same job that left me feeling frustrated and stuck. 

I questioned why God would allow an opportunity like this to pop up if it wasn’t going to work out. In the midst of wrestling with this situation and feeling stuck where I was, a simple yet powerful realization hit me: "Your purpose doesn't pause." If that was true, which I knew it was, my corporate job mattered.  

I was going to have to change the way I was living. It was time to treat my everyday life as a mission field. This situation taught me that, whether we are in the office, shopping for groceries, stepping into a new season as a stay-at-home mom, and the list goes on, every step we take matters.  

We carry life-giving Good News that literally has the power to change someone’s eternal status. It brings people from dead to alive. It brings people hope.  

It was time to show up differently, and maybe it’s time for you to show up differently, too. We don’t have to be bystanders in our everyday life because we’re on a purpose-filled mission to love God and love people wherever He has placed us. 

Has it ever occurred to you that David in the Bible was anointed as the next King of Israel and then spent fifteen years tending sheep before ascending to the throne? David's journey, as outlined in 1 Samuel 16, serves as a blueprint for understanding purpose in the midst of uncertainty. This story reminds us that what we do is important.   

Despite being the chosen future king, David's time tending sheep had a purpose. God used ordinary moments to prepare him for extraordinary responsibilities. David's story emphasizes that each of us is chosen and set apart by God for a specific purpose. Showing up where God has placed us has meaning, even in the in-between seasons. 

What if the ordinary moments of our lives are actually the extraordinary? The idea is not to wait for the next big thing but to walk in the small moments with God dwelling within us. Life's purpose is found in the mundane, and our current circumstances don't surprise God. 

Not only can God use us, but He is using us right now. While we’re not all in jobs or places where we can quote Scripture verses or deliver sermons, our faith is embedded in the way we live. Purpose isn't found in “arrival moments,” it's found in the details of our daily lives.  

Imagine someone in heaven saying, "I'm here because I saw Jesus in you." It hit me—our actions ripple into people's lives, more than we realize. So, if you're currently wrestling with your purpose and questioning if what you do matters, welcome to the club!  

Keep wrestling. It's in this wrestle that the good stuff happens. I believe the Lord uses these pivotal moments and situations to renew our strength and remind us that our lives have purpose—anywhere we are.  

Your purpose doesn't hit pause, even when life feels stuck on repeat. Embrace each breath He gives you, find joy in the wrestle, and let the Lord unveil His purpose hidden in the seemingly ordinary moments of your life. 

Here are four steps you can take today to shift your perspective and see that what you do really does matter:

1. Give Your Circumstances to God: Hand over your current circumstances and questions to God. Some practical ways you can do this are through prayer, listening to worship music, journaling, or expressing gratitude for the day. I love changing my mindset from “I have to” to “I GET to” when I find myself wrestling with my circumstances. 

2. Invite God to Transform Your Heart: Ask God to use your present circumstances to transform your heart, shifting your focus from confusion and suffering to inviting God to work on what matters most – your heart.

3. Trust in God's Plan: Embrace the resistance you might be facing in this season, trusting that God's plan is best. Lamentations 3:22–23 reassures us that His compassion never fails, and each day brings new possibilities.

4. Strategize Ways You Can Live on Mission to Love God and Love People Where You Are: Decide how you want to live out your purpose in your everyday life. Think about where you are and who God has placed around you. How can you show up differently? How can you be intentional?

This article is written by Hope Reagan Harris, DaySpring author of This is My Happy Place. She is on a mission to help women around the world get unstuck. She graduated from Pepperdine University in 2017. Her last book Purpose Doesn’t Pause started a global movement after a girl read one chapter of the book and started a GoFundMe to bring hope to women around the world. This led Hope to start a non-profit and podcast called Purpose Doesn’t Pause that elevates and celebrates God’s restoration through the lives of women around the world. Although Hope lives in Bentonville, Arkansas with her husband Will and daughter Remi, if you are looking for her, you can find her in your corner! Want to be a guest on the podcast? Fill out this form.

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