One of the traits of human beings is the desire to find purpose in life.

Atheists seek to find man’s purpose within man. Philosophers have offered a variety of thoughts on this issue. Some posit that man's purpose is to find a great cause or relationship or experience. Others try to find purpose in pleasure, drugs, or alcohol. The common thread in all these ideas is that the purpose of life is self-defined. Given that no one is self-created, why would a person think that he or she could self-define purpose in life?

Theists, on the other hand, seek to find human purpose in God. In particular, biblical theists, who accept Christ as Lord, seek guidance from Scripture.

In this search, one of the key biblical principles to consider is the C4 principle. C4 is an acronym for calling, character, capability, and commissioning. This principle is found in numerous texts, including Exodus 35:30–36:1; 1 Samuel 16:14–23; Psalms 78:70–72; Acts 6:1–7; and 1 Timothy 3:1–7 with Titus 1:5–9. For more on C4, see the prior Business Tip.¹

Assuming you subscribe to the C4 principle, the question is then, how do you walk out the process of finding your life purpose with this principle?

Since Christ is the Creator of all, the starting point for finding your C4 is intimacy with Christ. Christ is our Creator and we exist at his pleasure and for his purpose (Colossians 1:15–20). Therefore intimacy with him is the seminal basis for the process of finding your life purpose. (By intimacy, I mean you must know him well to know yourself well.)

Psalm 23 provides insight into how God directs the process of finding your life purpose. Using a metphor, the psalm describes the role of the shepherd and his sheep. The shepherd maintains an intimate relationship with his sheep as he provides, guides, and protects the sheep through the process of fulfilling their purpose. The role of the sheep is to submit to the shepherd.

Now apply the metaphor of the shepherd to us: Christ is the great shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) and we are the sheep. Christ provides, guides, and protects us through the process of finding and fulfilling our life purpose based on intimacy with him. Our role is to submit to him in faith and grow in our intimacy with him. Then, over time, God's purpose for our lives will unfold.

Here is your business tip. Individually, each worker must seek to develop and maintain an intimate relationship with Christ, which provides the basis for the process of finding and fulfilling his or her life purpose in accordance with the C4 principle. Management must function as under-shepherds to Christ by providing a context and culture that encourages the process of finding and fulfilling God’s purpose for each worker. This means that management must provide training in both the C4 principle and in how to live intimately with Christ. A worker who is unwilling to engage in the process of finding his or her life purpose should be encouraged to engage. Those who continue to refuse will be an impediment to the health of the organization. Such people must eventually be released. Organizations that build a culture of effectively shepherding workers will produce excellent value for those they serve and will be profitable as well.