Finding purpose: choosing what to do

Ages 13 to 17 Read alone · about 55 minutes

Read together

Many teenagers wonder: what should I do with my life? You do not need to have the whole answer now. Purpose is built over time, through trying things, serving others and paying attention to what you are good at and what the world needs.

Christian thinkers call this vocation, or calling. Martin Luther taught that ordinary work, such as farming, teaching, cooking or caring for children, can be a way of serving God and neighbour. The writer Frederick Buechner described calling as the place where your deep gladness meets the world's deep need.

Practical steps help. Explore: try different activities, volunteer, interview people about their work. Build skills. Ask for advice, and pray. Be ready for the path to change. In a world where AI is changing many jobs, curiosity, honesty, care for people and the willingness to keep learning are skills that stay valuable.

Do it

1. Make three lists: things you enjoy, things you are good at (ask friends and family), and needs you see around you. Look for overlaps.
2. Interview two adults about their work: how did they choose it, what do they like, and what is hard?
3. Try one new activity or volunteer for a few hours with a local group. Write a short reflection on what you learned about yourself.
4. Write a one-page “purpose draft”: what you hope to give, learn and become over the next five years. Pray over it and share it with someone you trust.

Talk about it

• What problem do you most want to help solve?
• What are you good at that others might not notice?

For the grown-up

Teens do best when parents encourage exploration rather than demanding a plan. Frederick Buechner's description of calling appears in his book “Wishful Thinking”. Tools such as O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor) and the TESDA career guidance in the Philippines can help explore jobs. It is normal for goals to change. Pray and talk together about what your teen enjoys and where they might serve.

Mark as done

← Previous lesson Next lesson →

Where this comes from

• Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC (Harper and Row, 1973), entry “Vocation”
• Gordon T. Smith, Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential, rev. ed. (InterVarsity Press, 2011)
• U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET OnLine, career exploration resource
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippines, career guidance resources

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.