What is my purpose in life?

People, or rather pastors and church leaders keep talking about finding your purpose in life. Discovering what you were created to do on this earth. In the Christian communities your purpose almost always has to be charity work or something along the Christian ministry lines. For many years I have been trying to discover my purpose but it seems to change with my location, my job, my network of friends… and I am still quite confused about this “purpose” stuff.

• I once thought my purpose in life was to be a creative evangelist, spreading the Good News through a series of covert activities – I soon ran out of ideas for these missions and got frustrated by the lack of response.
• I once thought it was being a photographer, taking pictures and reflecting beauty in everything and everyone, including those tagged as ugly – I moved to a different country and saw that most things were already beautiful.
• I once thought it was to mentor young people who were struggling in areas that I had struggled with in the past – I often found that the young people could also mentor me in areas that I am struggling with now.
• I once thought it was to serve in ministry – but I’m struggling to believe that I have found my purpose. While I get some fulfilment from serving, I also get very disturbed when I feel things are not done my way. It seems the more I serve, the less perfection I see.

When I think of purpose, I believe the only way to find it – is to find what you love to do. Something that you can do 24/7. Something that you feel you can do till you die. Perhaps something that you have to do before you die or in other words – you won’t mind death once you have done or started doing it! A good example is Mother Theresa who died doing what she was supposedly created to do.

Perhaps I am struggling with my purpose only because I’m at the wrong level of Maslow’s hierarchy of need (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow). Maybe when I get to Self Actualisation I might just discover what my purpose is.

Or have I actually known/walked in my purpose(s) at the various seasons of my life? Maybe purposes do change with time and circumstance.