Purpose Driven

Spiritual Essential: Purpose

Reading: Proverbs 19:20-23

Traveler Needs a Job

Our gym is dog friendly. In fact, it’s more than dog-friendly; on any given day, there’s at least one member’s dog clipped between barbells and rowers, greeting people like they’re old friends. Truth be told, while our CrossFit gym has great coaches and an incredible community, I’m convinced a surprising percentage of members joined because they could bring their dogs.

Odin, Echo, Lilly, Jack, Apollo, Pancake, Kilo, and Frankie - those are just the coaches’ dogs. Add in Grace, Milo, Izzy, Zoey, Ruby, and at least a dozen more four-legged regulars, and you start to understand our gym’s culture. It’s fitness meets dog park.

My wife and I contribute to the count as well. We often bring our two rescued Golden Retrievers, who might just be the friendliest dogs in the building. They’re laid-back, eager for attention, and happy to flop on the floor during warm-ups. No drama. No agenda.

And then… there’s Traveler.

Traveler is our third dog, a 75-pound mixed-breed cattle dog who joined our family after being found running through a busy neighborhood with no collar, no chip, and no owner in sight. We named him Traveler because, well… he seemed to have been traveling for quite some time before he found us.

He’s sweet at home, loyal to his core, and smart as can be. But unlike our affable Goldens, Traveler is wired differently. He always needs a job. That’s not a personality quirk: it’s how cattle dogs were designed. They aren’t happy unless they’re working, protecting, or herding something.

And sometimes, at the gym, “needing a job” looks a lot like barking. Loudly. Persistently. Annoyingly.

Often, I think he’s just trying to herd the members into one corner so he can protect them from barbells and burpees. That’s his instinct. That is his purpose.

What can feel like a disruption can ultimately get to purpose

What sometimes feels like a disruption is actually Traveler living into what he was made for. Throughout history, cattle dogs have kept livestock safe, served families, and been indispensable partners. Their purpose isn’t always convenient, but it’s always intentional.

And lately, Traveler has reminded me of something important:

We, too, were created with purpose.

Just like Traveler is at his best when he’s doing what he was wired to do, you and I live most fully when we align ourselves with God’s purpose for our lives. Two scriptures come to mind.

First, Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” King Solomon wrote these words more than three thousand years ago, yet they speak directly into our modern restlessness. We can make plans, chase goals, and design strategies, but it’s God’s purpose that gives our lives meaning and direction. When we lean into His purpose, life gains clarity.

Then the apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Ephesus: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) We aren’t random. We aren’t accidents. We aren’t merely trying to survive the day.

We are God’s workmanship, crafted intentionally and lovingly. And He has already prepared meaningful work for us to do.

Traveler barks because he’s wired for purpose.

We serve, lead, love, build, encourage, and bless others because we are wired for purpose. The real question is whether we will step into it.

Take a moment this week to ask God where He is inviting you to live out your purpose; not someday, but today. Look for the “good works” already placed in your path. Purpose rarely begins with a grand gesture. More often, it begins with faithfulness, humility, and a willingness to show up.

Step into your purpose. Like Traveler, you were wired for one.

Questions for Reflection:

Where in your life right now do you sense God nudging you toward a specific purpose or responsibility?

What “good works” may already be in front of you that you’ve overlooked because they felt too ordinary or inconvenient?