The Convergence Principle

“Love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.  And love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no greater commandment than these” (Mark 12:29-31 NIV).

In His conversation with a Jewish leader, Jesus clarified the purpose of life on this earth. In this simple but clear statement, Jesus brought into focus the mission He has created us to fulfill through the lives He’s given us.  I believe the real question we’re asking is this: “How do I personally carry out my responsibility to love God with all of my being, and to learn to authentically love others with this same love?”

As three specific elements in our lives converge, they reveal a picture of how God intends for each of us to uniquely live out His purpose on this earth (convergence).  For many years I have been teaching clients, groups, classes, and readers what I have entitled the Convergence Principle.  The personal testimonials and positive responses this principle has received have legitimized its effectiveness.  It provides a framework for men and women of all walks of life to build their life-purpose upon.

Not only has my own life-purpose been an unfolding of the paradox principles I’ve woven throughout this book, it also began to come into focus as I personally implemented this simple yet profound concept of convergence in my own life.

• My life experiences and passions.
• My inborn, God-given temperament.
• My God-given spiritual gifts.

Life Experiences and Passions

This element of the principle identifies the “who” of our God-given life purpose.  This will be the subgroup of people for whom our life experiences have developed a keen awareness of and compassion for.

Imagine walking down a hallway looking back on your life, noticing pictures on the wall.  These pictures are like a photo album of all the events along the way.  Some are large, framed pictures, representing the most significant experiences you’ve had so far.  Some are good; some are not so good; some are happy; some are sad.  What significant events from your life do you see that stand out?  Is there a wedding?  A birth? Are there family vacations or important sporting events pictured on the walls?  Is there an achievement like a diploma or a degree or an award?  Are there spiritual experiences like when you came to faith in Jesus, or a time when God especially touched your life?

Are there painful experiences — A divorce?  Or the death of someone you really loved?  A failure?  Maybe a memory of having been abused?  Or alcoholism, an eating disorder, a miscarriage, an abortion, or an addiction?

Realize that all these experiences have shaped who you are today.  God didn’t cause all these things to happen in your life, but He did allow them to happen so that He could continue to unfold His amazing story through you.  God wants to use all of these experiences to grow you spiritually, to mold you into the likeness of Jesus, and to shape you for the unique purposes He has prepared just for you.  He doesn’t want even one of your life experiences to be wasted.  God takes all of your life experiences—whether positive or painful, intentional or accidental, caused by you or by someone else – to shape you for His unique calling on your life.  He turns your broken pieces into masterpieces!

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).

Your life experience is one of the most overlooked ways that God uses to shape you for the way He wants you to serve Him and others in this world.  God is working in and through everything in your life — even your sins – to accomplish His purposes through you.  God can take the messes in your life and bring a message out of them.  He can take the tests in your life and create a testimony unlike any other.  He can take a crisis and show Christ to others through it.   2 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV) tells us,

“God comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

When others are troubled in ways that resemble the troubles God has guided us through, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  Our trouble can become the very instrument God will use to help other people – the basis of our credibility to speak hope into another human being.

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