God made you on purpose to make a difference.

God doesn’t make mistakes, and He created you intentionally and purposefully to do good. Paul writes, “for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) God is not playing hide-and-seek with His plans for you. He desires for you to know and fulfill His purpose for your life.

No matter what God is calling you to do, His plan is always best and His plan always leads to your joy. Are you struggling to realize God’s way is best? Do you worry about giving up “control” of your own plans? You can find the encouragement to pursue your purpose in these truths.

Here are three ways you can find contentment in what God is calling you to:

1. Don’t downplay your “difference”

We have a lot of examples in scripture of individuals doing big things for God; parting seas, fighting giants, and making fire fall from heaven. But, take a look at an individual like Ruth. She was simply loving and obedient to those around her and fulfilled her purpose in the genealogy of Jesus (Ruth 1-4,Matt. 1:5). Maybe God is asking you to become a stay at home mom and you feel like that doesn’t measure up to the difference you could make out in the world. Trust God. You’ll be making an eternal difference.

Maybe you’re a father and husband who thinks God is calling you to a career change with a major pay cut. Look to Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, who trusted God in simple things like moving his family or allowing his wife to give birth in a barn ( Luke 2:4-7). Today, we’re still thankful for the difference he made.

2. Remember it’s not about you

This is not only a hard truth about your life but also about your gifts. God has given you a spiritual gift to benefit the church, not your ego (1 Cor. 12:4-7). Comparing your gift to those around you will undoubtedly steal your gratitude and joy. God simply wants you to be you, the way He made you so you can fulfill His purpose for you (1 Cor. 12:14-20)

Remembering this will help motivate you to fulfill a purpose that you didn’t plan for yourself. Find comfort and encouragement in the truth that God’s plans are always better for you than anything you can create on your own.

3. Understand fame is not a prerequisite for joy

God wants your joy and He knows you better than you know yourself. If He is directing you towards something, it is only for your good. He does not want to make you miserable. And, despite not getting noticed here on earth, you will be rewarded. God makes certain to tell us that our reward in heaven will be great for anything done in secret (Matt. 6:1, 4,18).

When you’re fulfilling your purpose, your joy will not depend on prestige or popularity. It may be scary at first to submit your life to a purpose that seems like it may go unnoticed. You can trust that God only wants what is best for you and He will not leave you unsatisfied.