Article December 30, 2019 Issue

Finding purpose and vocation

Kim Hedge

Originally published in The Christian Science Monitor’s Christian Science Perspective column September 19, 2019.

Several years ago, I was wrestling with finding a sense of purpose and what I was meant to do. But I had a deepening faith in God’s love and a sense that our fundamental purpose is to express that love, so it felt natural to turn to God for guidance.

One idea that meant a lot to me was that God shows us the way. The Bible states that God is Love itself (see I John 4:8). This Love is powerful, ever present, and universal, and guides and protects each one of us. As God’s image and likeness, the spiritual offspring of the Divine, we are not only the recipients but actually the very expression of the all-powerful love of God.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, articulates this in her primary work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Love is reflected in love” (p. 17). To me that means that our entire purpose in life is to live love, to express and share love. And since God is infinite, there are abundant ways for us to do this.