YOU CANNOT FULFIL PURPOSE ALONE

It is impossible to fulfill purpose in isolation.

When God was done creating Adam, He said, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him" [Gen 2:18]

This means it is not the plan of God for you to fulfill His purpose for your life in isolation.

So, you are going to need people to fulfill your purpose effectively.

And if you will need people then you must know how to work with people to be effective.

I want to share with you 7 things you must do with people to fulfill your purpose effectively.

1. Love people

The Bible says, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another" [Romans 13:8]. You cannot fulfill your purpose if you don't love people. You must genuinely love people. When you love people, you will make room for them in your life, accommodate them, and acknowledge their uniqueness.

2. Value people

Every man has something valuable to offer but beyond what they can offer you, learn to value people. To value people is to take interest in them and their growth. Respect people, never take anyone for granted, appreciate them. Even if they are your subordinates, you must still value them, and let them know you value them. Acknowledge them publicly if you can - let them know you don't take their roles in your life for granted.

3. Believe in people

You will not be where you are today if no one believed in you. So, make it your duty to believe in people. Believe the best of and about them. Even at their worst state, learn to be hopeful about their future.

4. Invest in people

This one is so crucial to the fulfillment of your purpose in life. Zig Ziglar would often say, "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want." He's right! If you would add value to people, your value will keep going up. Make people better when they meet you. Don't leave people worse than they were. Commit to adding value to people daily!

5. Honour people

We live in a generation that is gradually losing the culture of honour. Honour people by regarding them as not any less than you. Even if they are younger than you or have not achieved as much as you have achieved in life, still honour them. Honour their time, their space and decisions. And if they are older than you, please honour them. There is such a transfer of blessing that comes with honouring our elders. Don't go with the waves of dishonour that's common in our generation. It won't you anywhere. You may not agree with everyone but honour everyone.

6. Care for people

Being there for people is also one of those things you'd hardly see in our world. We're gradually losing the culture of being available to each other. Truth is, in the words of John C Maxwell, "no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care". Care for people. Life does not just revolve around you. I know life can be quite busy but once a while, check on your friends, reach out to them, make time for them, speak their love language and do your best to connect with them. Forgive them when they offend you.

7. Listen to people

We live in a world where there is no so much noise around and it's hard to hear ourselves but we must be intentional about listening to people. We must listen to their hurts, pains, desires, and constructive feedback. Don't be full of yourself such that you don't take feedback. Learn to listen! There is a reason God gave us two ears and one mouth.

The list is not exhaustive so I am sure you can add more to the list. So, go ahead... What would you add?

I believe in you.

- Dr. Samuel Ekundayo | The Purpose Preacher