by Dennis Petersen
If you listen carefully to people today, you’ll hear a common question underneath a lot of their anxiety: “Why am I here? What is the point of my life?”
Many reach middle age, watch their children grow up, welcome grandchildren into the world, and quietly wonder, “Have I already done the important part of my life—and now I’m just coasting?” Scripture offers a very different picture. It tells us that from the very beginning, God has been a God of purpose—He creates intentionally, He calls personally, and He uses His people meaningfully in every generation and in every season.
The Lord impressed me to share with you today, one of the most life-changing lessons He has ever taught me. And it happened through a series of experiences that I could never have planned. I sincerely hope you’ll find a sense of renewed meaningfulness from what I share with you today. But first, let me lay down a few principle ‘bricks’ from the source of our Redeemer’s wisdom… the only source that really makes sense in a very confusing world
For starters, it doesn’t take long for us to discover that The Most High God does not create aimlessly. Just as we discover purposes for every systematic design we see in nature, so, we eventually realize that, sooner or later, every human life is designed by Him for a purpose that brings Him glory and serves others. That includes the life of a middle‑aged man or woman, a grandparent, someone who feels “between” chapters, or even a tender sapling who’s just getting started on the journey of life.
I. God Intentionally Created You
Texts: Psalm 139:13–16; Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 138:8
Psalm 139 says, “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” It goes on: “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” That’s personal… It’s detailed… It’s intentional language. God did not mass‑produce you on an assembly line; He knitted you together. He wrote out your days before you lived a single one of them. And He obviously had a plan in mind… and this verse in your Bible says it better than any other I’ve seen. Mark it well. Psalm 139. The whole psalm is worth visiting often and praying through it as your own declaration of faith in your Maker.
Jeremiah 1:5 gives us a glimpse of this with a specific person – the prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you…” God is speaking to a young prophet, but the principle is broader: God’s knowledge and consecrating purpose reach back before birth. He does not discover us; He designs us.
Psalm 138:8 adds a prayer from King David: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.” That is not arrogance; it is trust. The psalmist, David, looks at his life and says, “My story is not self‑written. God has a purpose, and He will not abandon it midway.”
A timeless Human story captures our attention: Moses, the man who found purpose late
Consider Moses – one of the most interesting stories of human history. For the first forty years of his life, he was the prince in Egypt. Then, after a rash act of violence in a fit of retribution, he fled his royal home in fear, and spent the next forty years as a shepherd in the wilderness of Midian. So, there he is, a middle‑aged man, watching his father-in-law’s sheep, largely unknown, seemingly on the margins of history. If you had met Moses at, say, age sixty‑five, you might have thought: “This man’s story is heading for a quiet ending. Whatever he was going to do, he did it long ago.”
Yet, at about eighty years old, God appeared to Moses at the burning bush and called him to lead Israel out of bondage. In other words, the most visible, history‑shaping part of Moses’ calling came in what we would call “old age.” His earlier years were not wasted; they were preparation. His later years were not irrelevant; they were crucial for the future history of the whole world of humanity.
Moses’ story speaks to anyone, at any age, who might be discouraged by their past. But it tells the middle‑aged believer, and the older saint: God’s intentional design includes seasons you didn’t plan and timings you wouldn’t choose. The fact that you have breath means God still has purpose.
Application
So, to the grandparent who sometimes thinks, “My children are grown; my career is mostly behind me; what now?”—hear this: you’re not random, and you’re not “done.” Your personality, your experiences, your scars, your skills, your story—all of these are woven intentionally. Purpose did not end when you retired or when the kids moved out. You can pray with the psalmist, “Lord, fulfill Your purpose for me, (Psalm 138:8)” expecting that God has intentional work for you in this chapter too.
Ask yourself: If God truly formed me and recorded my days in His book, what might He be inviting me to do now—in my family, in my church, in my neighborhood—that fits His design?
II. God Has a Purpose Already Prepared
Texts: Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 8:28–29
Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The word translated “workmanship” can mean a work of art, a crafted piece. God not only designed you; He prepared good works beforehand with your name on them.
Second Timothy 1:9 adds that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace.” Purpose is not earned; it’s given. Calling is not a self‑promotion; it’s a gift of grace. Our fundamental calling is to belong to Christ, our Creator. And out of that relationship flows the good works He has providentially prepared in His own marvelous and mysterious sovereignty as only The Most High God can.
The familiar passage in Romans 8:28–29 tells us that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose…” And what’s that? “…to be conformed to the image of his Son.” God’s purpose is not just that we co-operate with God’s ways and do the right things that reflect His wisdom and grace; but, more than that, it’s that we become Christ-like. There are actually specific good works that He has prepared for us to do that are part of His larger plan to shape us into the image of Jesus.
Application to a grandparent’s life
Think about a middle‑aged grandfather named Mark. He has worked forty years in the same company, raised three children, and now has several grandchildren. He sometimes feels that the “meaningful” work is what he does at church—serving on a committee, teaching a class—but he wonders whether his day‑to‑day life really matters.
Ephesians 2:10 says that if Mark belongs to Christ, every chapter of his life is surrounded by good works God prepared beforehand. I suspect you’d be good at figuring what those works might look like:
- No doubt – Praying consistently for each grandchild by name, asking God to draw them to Christ. That’s a big one.
- How about – Telling stories of God’s faithfulness to younger generations, strengthening their faith?
- Almost every day – he could be Using his practical skills to serve a neighbor in need.
- And of course – Modeling integrity in semi‑retirement—showing that character matters even when you no longer “have to” impress a boss.
Mark’s purpose is not something he has to invent late in life; it’s something he has to recognize and deliberately walk in. 8:23 The same is true for a grandmother who spends her afternoons caring for little ones so her adult children can work. Those hours, if offered to Christ, are part of the “good works” prepared beforehand. 8:23
A good question to ask is not only, “What do I want to do with the rest of my life?” but, “What good works might God already have prepared for me in this season—especially in relation to my grandchildren, my church, and my community?” It doesn’t have to be anything grand or spectacular in the world’s eyes. Think of your unique skills, talents, abilities, and other hidden resources of stuff, or connections, or needs in your world that you could put to good use, bringing a productive blessing of some kind. But there’s even more to consider…
III. God’s Purpose can be Bigger than Your Plans but could be just outside the boundaries you’re thinking!
Texts: Proverbs 19:21; Romans 8:28
Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel (or purpose) of the LORD will stand.” Human plans can be right or wrong (good or evil); but the ways of God in Scripture encourage wise planning. We’re reminded that our plans are provisional. God’s purposes are definitive. When I discovered Proverbs 16:9, it stuck deeply in my own mind and heart. “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” I’ve never forgotten that.
Of course, it’s good for each of us to make our plans with reason and with thoughtful counsel from others. But we eventually discover as God’s children, that ultimately, God has ways of directing our path that may be altogether different from the direction or ultimate outcome that we had expected.
Romans 8:28 will always be a reassuring promise from God, no matter where our journey of life takes us. It assures us that God is weaving all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose. That especially includes the tough times we may not have expected. It could be a surprise layoff from work, a health crisis, a relocation, a child that’s wandered off course, or the late‑life caregiving responsibilities you never saw coming. Our plans typically expect a smooth path. But God’s purpose in the journey for each of us… often weaves through rough terrain, and He wastes nothing. Even a flat tire along the way can be a beneficial interruption. And I’m not ignoring the tragedies that happen and make us ask “Why, Lord?” Some of those will never make sense until we stand before God after death. But all of them are valleys where we can say, “Thou O LORD art with me! (Psalm 23:4)” And the peace in the midst of those storms will draw us closer to God in personal ways that are more precious than gold.
Application: When your script changes
For many middle‑aged Americans, life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. The career you thought you’d have into your seventies may have suddenly ended. Your marriage may have taken a turn you never anticipated. One of your children may have wandered far from the Lord, and you bear the weight of that grief. Or perhaps you find yourself raising a grandchild because your grown child is unable or unwilling to do it. Providential surprises are most always challenging… even disturbing. But they happen to the best of us. So, we naturally ask God “what’s the purpose of this?” The best Bible answer I found is in John 11:4 when Jesus said that the sickness of Lazarus was for the purpose “that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” (John 11:4).
Proverbs 19:21 meets you there: your plans were real, but they weren’t final. God’s purpose isn’t always so crystalized that it’s fragile; it’s more like a tree that grows around obstacles even if shaped by constant prevailing winds. It can absorb life’s sidelines. It can transform our plans that got broken along the way. Romans 8:28 isn’t a cliché but a lifeline—God can take even your disappointments and fold them into His good work of shaping you and blessing others.
So, when life diverges sharply from your expectations, remember who owns your life. As God’s children, we are His precious possession. Scripture tells us “For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies (1 Cor 6:20).” You can always pray: “Lord, I surrender my plans to Your purpose. Show me how to walk faithfully in this altered path.” That may mean learning a new kind of patience, becoming a prayerful advocate for a struggling grandchild, or using an unexpected free season to serve in ways you never imagined. His purpose is not lost by your detours.
IV. God Calls You to Live for His Glory
Texts: 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23
First Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” “Whatever you do” means that even the mundane is included—meals, conversations, errands. Colossians 3:23 echoes: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Everything becomes part of worship when it’s done with whole-hearted devotion to Christ. We can’t afford to waste our precious days on this earth doing the things God gives us to do with a dull and half-hearted mindset.
Don’t miss this… Purpose, in Scripture, is not first about self‑fulfillment; it is about glorifying God. We find joy as a byproduct of that; our main aim is that His name be honored in our lives.
My story of how God rerouted my plans, directed my steps, and providentially surprised me with a totally transformed purpose for my life.
Now, can I share with you my story of how God directed me into a completely transformed sense of purpose… in a totally different career path?
After growing up with a great love for nature and being outdoors, my college career path to work as a naturalist in places like America’s great National Parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone, took a surprising bend in the road. As soon as I got to Sacramento State College, after getting a grocery store job to earn money to help pay for my college expenses, I had one more added plan. My boyhood fascination with California’s Gold Rush history led me to ask the head ranger at Sutter’s Fort Historic state park if I could work for him in the old restored fort. This was the epicenter of California’s 1849 Gold Rush. He actually hired me to craft several new exhibits including some adobe brick exhibits for the Fort, most of which are still there today, 60 years later. After 4 years of college, I got a job building more exhibits for the Oakland museum’s hall of history for about a year. Then I worked some for the historic Old Sacramento preservation and Redevelopment Project. My college mentor and academic advisor there, led me to apply for a scholarship to get a Master’s degree from the new premier museum specialties program at Cooperstown, New York. I couldn’t believe it when they offered me a nearly full scholarship for the full year-long course of study.
While living in the rural upstate historic town, known for being the village of museums, like The Farmer’s Museum, Fennimore House Art Museum, and the Baseball Hall of Fame, I got to study and work with some of those museums nearly every day for a whole year. After completing my course of study and earning my Master’s Degree, I was offered a job back in San Jose, California as the Curator of a brand-new project to help with the planning, building and development of all aspects of a wonderful historic preservation and village museum. I worked there for 3 years until I was offered another job to be the director of a historic fort museum in Upstate New York. I loved every minute of my work as museum curator, being able to restore historic buildings, build attractive exhibits, and develop a sizeable volunteer staff to guide school students through the fascinating history of early California.
My future career in the world of historic museums looked more than promising, even if the pay was only enough for what I thought was basic survival. It didn’t matter… I was happy… surrounded with historic artifacts and doing what I loved. After all, during the 3 years I was working hard at the historical museum, I was also singing in my church choir and growing stronger in the Lord, attending every church service, evangelistic rally and Christian seminar that came along. That was in 1970 to 1973… right in the middle of the Jesus People revolution. And God’s Holy Spirit was really at work on me, as well as many people around me in those days. I couldn’t get enough of the Bible. I fasted and prayed many weekends, spending hours reading large portions of the Bible given to me by my mom when I turned 16.
Finally, a fellow choir member at my church said, “it sounds like you need to attend a Bible College, and I know a good one in Canada that I think you’d like.” That was because her son had attended the school for two years, and was then taking a year off to help plant a new church in Texarkana. It sounded like a great idea, especially when I learned that the cost was low and the courses of study at the school were almost entirely verse by verse studies of the entire Bible, designed to help young people have a solid knowledge of the Bible in preparation for life in whatever career they chose. After corresponding with the Bible School, I wrote out my story and why I felt the Lord was prompting me to apply as a ‘foreign’ American student. I had no idea if they would accept my application or not. There was only one little problem.
The day was approaching when I had to call my former grad school professor in upstate New York, who had a big say in new job placements for the historical museums in that part of the state, linked with the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown, where I had received my Masters degree. He was excited about the possibility that I might take on the job as Director at the old pre-Revolutionary War fort near the river that divided New York from Canada. I was excited too. But remember, I was also wrestling with my excitement that I found a purely Bible-focused, small Bible school in a small rural farm town in the middle of Saskatchewan, Canada. I just didn’t know yet whether they were going to accept my application or not. Remember, in those days, communication was largely by postal mail. This was long before the Internet and cheap long distance with cell phones that hadn’t yet been invented. And my planned long-distance call to New York about the job offer was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at 2. I had to give my decision… take the job or turn it down? Which would it be?
All my friends at my museum job tried to encourage me to take the job. I could always get Bible courses here and there from wherever I lived while working in my career, they reasoned. On the other hand, my friends at church were favoring the idea to trust God and believe my application for the Bible School would be accepted. Well, the day I had to decide came faster than I would have liked. So, I was fasting and praying for a clear signal from God which way to go. My logical reasoning side said, “take the job.” My spiritually yearning heart said, “trust God and He’ll work it out for me to be at the Canadian Bible school, come September.” Either way, both choices would mean a life-altering decision. It was a dilemma unlike anything I’d ever faced before. I was praying non-stop in my mind as I went about my work on the day I was to make the phone call to New York.
At lunch time, I drove out from work at the museum to pick up some things before stopping to get the mail at the entrance to the museum property. While driving around, as usual, I was listening to Christian radio programming during my lunch break. Two of my favorite Christian radio teaching programs were on during my drive time, so I heard only small parts of them. But it was more than just interesting that I heard specific words on both of those radio shows that seemed to be speaking right to me with a positive message about making my choice that meant God is giving the ‘go ahead’ signal for Bible school. I thought, “Okay Lord, that sounds pretty good.” But I reminded Him that His word says in a couple of places that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” (Deut. 19:15).
Well, would you believe it? When I stopped at the museum mail box, out on the access road that led to my museum office, I went through the handful of mail and was a little surprised to find an unsolicited letter envelope addressed to me. The return address showed it was actually from the Canadian government ministry of travel. I’d never been in touch with them before. As I got back into my car, I opened it and pulled out the only printed brochure inside. It’s a good thing I was sitting down. I think I might have fallen over in shock at what I read. On top of a picture of a stack of luggage on the front panel of the brochure were 5 words in big black letters… It read: “So, YOU’RE GOING TO CANADA!”
Well, as you can probably believe, that’s all I needed as the most direct answer to prayer I could have ever imagined. A big Hallelujah, as you’d expect, came out of my mouth, as the Lord gave me something to really smile about as I pulled the car up to the museum office, where I made the anticipated phone call to New York. I was a little nervous, but that disappeared fast after I told my professor what had happened. He graciously expressed how he totally understood. And he made a special point of saying that hearing me relay my dilemma and my decision, reminded him of the faith of his own deceased parents, from the pre-war (world war 2) generation.
With full confidence that God was directing my path, a few months later I was driving to Canada with my new friend, who had spent the last year planting that church in Arkansas. It would be his final year at the school as I began my first year of full-time study of the Bible, out in the middle of nowhere, in the farmland prairies of what seemed to be more like the back side of the desert. But, in reality the Lord had me on a completely new journey that would last a lifetime. Within two years, I’d be part-time teaching at the Bible school, even while I was still taking my third year of classes. The president of the school, who was one of the founders of the school, 30 years earlier, asked me to help him create a brand-new college course for all first-year students. It would be called “The Bible and Science.” And ten years later that course became the foundation of my uniquely informative book with a visual feast for every explorer to discover the awesome works of God, that has now circulated all over the country for 40 years – “Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation.”
You can understand why I can look back now and agree so whole-heartedly with Proverbs 16:9… “We can make all sorts of plans for our life with our minds, but for the child of God, the LORD really is the One who directs our steps.” And His purposes for our lives can give us a providentially transformed understanding of our purpose in serving Him in this life.
To discover how the Lord is still continuing the expansion of the purposes He has worked through my life by Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, you’ll want to see today’s Bonus Segment for today’s episode at Reclaim Your Legacy dot com.
May God establish a renewed sense of purpose for you today.
BONUS SEGMENT
Having a sense of meaningfulness and Purpose in living, as a believer in this life, is closely connected to lessons we learn about both contentment and vision. This is especially key to our abiding sense of peace as we grow older. As we sincerely rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7), it’s important that we let the Lord season our youthful ambition with a readiness to embrace new challenges that He might be laying before us to accomplish. Just because our physical and mental strength might decrease in our senior years, doesn’t mean that we can’t adjust our expectations of ourselves as He gives us assignments that can seem to stretch us a bit.
As all of us age…
God’s purpose for His older saints is to bless others in ways that are unique because of their long life of experience. All of us can be invigorated when we share accounts of His faithfulness when God has walked with us through our lifetime of challenges and struggles, as well as opportunities to become more productive in ways that we might never have imagined.
Another thing to be reminded of is the fact that other people, and even younger people, are more inclined to be curious about your life’s experiences, when you take an interest in them, showing them that they are valued as a person. We can encourage, exhort, teach, and pray in ways that can be transformative for younger believers and non-believers alike. When you have the time, you can share many stories of how God has sustained you through wars, recessions, illnesses, losses, and answered prayers. That investment can bear a lot more fruit than we might realize. It’s a living testimony to God’s long faithfulness in a chaotic world.
Everyday worship for grandparents
When I see adoring grandchildren, both younger ones and older ones, enjoying their time with grandmas and grandpas, I realize it’s because there’s been a deliberate effort to spend time with each other. That inevitably leads to a legacy of positive transference of not only skills and life lessons, but also of values and their own sense of purpose. When any of us spend time helping busy young parents by driving their children to school or special events, watching them in the afternoons, cooking dinners when busy family life with children gets overwhelming… think of this. All of those “good works that God has prepared for us to walk in” … are investments of our time that can have far more impact that we will ever know.
Take First Corinthians 10:31 seriously: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” “Whatever you do” means that even the mundane actions are included— preparing meals, light conversations, helping with errands. Can you see those tasks as acts of God-directed worship? Every ride, every meal, every conversation is an opportunity to glorify God. And that’s done by:
- Showing patience and kindness that reflects Christ’s character.
- Speaking about God’s faithfulness in simple, natural ways.
- Praying over grandchildren while folding laundry or washing dishes.
Colossians 3:23 tells us to do our “work heartily, as for the Lord.” Babysitting becomes ministry. Cooking becomes service to Christ. Listening to a teenager’s struggle becomes participating in God’s work in that young heart. What did Jesus say?
“…inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these … you did it to Me.” Matt 25:40.
For a grandfather, mowing the lawn of a widowed neighbor, fixing a broken sink at the church, playing catch with a restless grandson—these can all be done in a way that glorifies God. The difference is not in how “impressive” the task looks; it’s in whether our heart is turned toward the Lord.
So, why not ask: “In my ordinary responsibilities, how can I consciously aim to glorify God?” Purpose is often found, not in changing tasks, but in changing who we see ourselves working for.
V. God’s Purpose Is Lived Out in Your Generation
Texts: Acts 13:36; Psalm 138:8
I never used to think about how God’s purposes for His children are actually lived out in their generation.
Look at Acts 13:36 (ESV). It says, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers…” David’s life had many chapters—shepherd boy, giant‑slayer, fugitive, king, sinner, repentant worshiper—but Scripture sums it up this way: “he served God’s purpose in his generations.”
Your generation may be different from David’s, but the principal elements remain: God plants you in a particular time, family, culture, and church so that you may serve His purpose there. You’re not only a person with a purpose; you’re a person with a time‑bound purpose.
Psalm 138:8, as we saw, says, “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.” Put those verses together and you get a powerful truth: God has a purpose for you IN your generation, and He Himself is committed to fulfilling it as you walk with Him.
The role of older saints in their generation
Think of the possibilities for a middle‑aged grandparent. Your generation‑specific calling might include:
- Being a living bridge between generations in your family – modeling faith for both children and grandchildren.
- Mentoring younger believers in your church – sharing both your successes and your failures honestly.
- Praying persistently for your descendants and for the younger people in the congregation.
David served God’s purpose in his time. And then his time ends (Acts 13:36). God doesn’t ask you to serve a future generation you’ll never see. He asks you to be faithful in this one. The very fact that you’re still here on earth can mean at least one thing… He has some way He intends to use you now.
If you’re still in a quandary about all this, why not ask Him: “What does serving God’s purpose in my generation look like, practically, in my family, church, and community? What small, faithful steps could I take – even this month – to align with that?”
Conclusion: You Were Made on Purpose, For a Purpose
When you put these Scriptures together, do you see a clear picture emerging?
- God intentionally brought you into this world by preparing your parents, and their parents before you.
- He prepared good works for you;
- His purpose outlasts your own plans;
- He calls you to live for His glory; and
- He gives you a role in your own generation. And that’s true whether you’re seventeen, forty‑seven, or seventy‑seven—whether you’re just starting out or rocking a grandchild to sleep.
For the middle‑aged American man or woman with grandchildren, the message is this: you’re not in a “leftover” season. You’re in a strategic season. Your prayers, your stories, your quiet acts of service, your steadfast faith—they matter profoundly in God’s economy. You may not be called to lead a nation like Moses, but you are called to serve God’s purpose in your generation, in your household, in your church, and in the circle of people He has given you.
Closing Challenge – So, how do we respond to these thoughts about our own purpose?
- Surrender: Offer your life afresh to God. Tell Him you’re willing to serve His purpose in your generation, whatever that looks like.
- Feast on Scripture: Keep returning to His Word—especially passages like Psalm 139, Ephesians 2, Romans 8, and Acts 13—to shape your understanding of purpose.
- Use Discernment: Ask God to show you the specific good works He has prepared for you right now—toward your grandchildren, your church, and your neighbors.
- Deliberate obedience: Instead of waiting for a “big moment,” begin with small, faithful steps of obedience—prayer, encouragement, service, testimony.
Here’s a Prayer you can use to begin your talk with God about all this.
“Lord, thank You that my life is not an accident. Thank You that You formed me, saved me, and called me according to Your own purpose and grace. Today, I surrender my plans to Your purpose. Show me the good works You’ve prepared for me in this season—especially in my family and among my grandchildren. Help me to glorify You in the ordinary tasks of my days and to serve Your purpose in my generation. Fulfill Your purpose for me, O Lord, for Your steadfast love endures forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
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