Finding Purpose in a Spiritual Wilderness

By Katie Pearson

Lately, I’ve been on a wilderness journey. Right now, it feels as though I have more questions than answers and nothing in my life feels certain. I don’t like it here, and I want God to rescue me from this place as soon as possible.

The thing is, the Bible doesn’t seem to portray a wilderness journey as negative. In divine terms, being lost doesn’t necessarily seem to be a punishment or banishment.

While we might regard it as being “nowhere” and definitely not in the presence of anything or anyone that matters to us, in spiritual terms, it could be an opportunity. It might even be a peaceful place, if we seek God’s purposes while we’re there. 

I’m sure many of you have seen it, looking back on whatever wilderness journey you’ve taken—God was at work, teaching you things.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve realized is that through suffering, we are often in the process of becoming free so that we can step into something greater.

This concept is demonstrated in the story of the Israelites after God rescued them from Egypt. Where they’d been was terrible, but at least they knew what to expect. The Promised Land was just that … a promise and an unknown outcome.

How often in our spiritual journey do we give ourselves permission to have NO IDEA where we are, or where God is? How willing are we to wander away from the comforting undercurrent of familiarity and security for the risk of something greater?

“Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.”  Ephesians 3:17 TPT

The wilderness is a common theme through Scripture. So is “remembering”, or reflecting on what has gone before. There are many verses where God asks His people to recall how He met them in their darkest moments – not to relive the pain, but to receive assurance that His presence is always with them – as it is with us today. 

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

My prayer is that through looking back you realize that you are exactly where God wants you to be, and that He will reveal his purpose as you journey through your spiritual wilderness.

3 Simple + Scriptural Ways To Find Your Way Home 

1. Stay Put

I remember my parents repeatedly telling me that if I get lost, stay put. “Don’t move,” they warned, “We will come to you.” I don’t know about you, but as an adult doing nothing when I feel lost is not my first instinct. I tend to scramble for whatever makes me feel safe, secure, loved and valued. I work more, seek social activity, and exercise harder. Yet, what God is really inviting us into in these seasons is stillness and solitude so we can hear His voice:

“Stay put,” God whispers to us. “In fact you are already found. Can you trust me enough to be still and know that I am God?” (Psalm 46:10)

Usually what drives us to action when we feel lost is fear, which comes in many forms: fear of loneliness, fear of harm, fear of rejection, etc. When we are out of control and in unfamiliar territory, Jesus is inviting us to explore faith on a higher level:

“Why are you fearful?” He says to His disciples in Luke 8: “Have you lost your faith in me?”

What about you? In the deep discomfort of the unknown, we tend to rely on ourselves to complete the journey. The Bible teaches that only by relying completely on God can we discover the path positioned to lead us out of the wilderness. Leaders, in particular, feel responsible to find a solution and share it to encourage the stragglers falling behind. Stop grappling for answers and start listening. Every kingdom leader is led by Jesus who can’t wait to show you the way through.

2. Reflect

Does God actually promote getting lost? It seems so. Maybe it’s not such a terrible thing, even though every human parent is terrified their child will experience being alone and afraid. Our heavenly Father doesn’t want us to feel fear for fear’s sake; He’s actually preparing us for something that we can’t foresee, and aren’t meant to. 

One of the most profound practices leaders use to grow spiritually and emotionally is pondering past experiences in order to fall forward in the next stage of the journey. Instead of writing off an extremely trying year, search for the hidden treasures placed along the trail for you, alone, to find. It’s too easy to erase an entire memory and lose the high points. Instead, prayerfully consider when and where you:

• Heard God
• Saw God
• Felt God
• Believed God
• Asked God
• Thanked God

What greater Truths emerge from reflecting on these experiences? What is God inviting you to change moving forward?

3. Celebrate

Rather than avoiding the memories of this past year, why not physically commemorate where God showed up? The Bible shares several instances spiritual leaders stopped to acknowledge how the divine intervened in a variety of circumstances:

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” – 1 Samuel 7:12

“Ebenezer” stones are mentioned only three times in the Bible, representing lamentation, defeat, and victory. Looking back over your year, where can you stack a few stones to mark where God met you in each of these situations? In your garden? On your desk? Perhaps take a marker and write a word on each stone as a reminder. Don’t leave 2020 without acknowledging the path God has led you on to arrive at this point – including the darkest twists and turns. They all serve as spiritual markers that play into His vision of your life and leadership. 

Rediscover Wonder

When I was hiking with my daughter last year we got disoriented and ended up in a clearing far from our destination. The sun was going down and we didn’t have cell service. We were lost. To her credit, she was almost excited about it. As we began to backtrack, she shared a blog she’d read, written by an ultra runner who intentionally loses his way in the woods. He wrote about how difficult it is to get lost in the world today. We can even drop a “pin” on our exact location. He regards getting lost as a welcomed adventure. 

Although I’m no longer a child, I still do all I can to avoid losing my way. With all the options life offers, the many comforts, and the technology, we rarely enter anything without a thorough plan. Whether we are setting out on a hike, a relationship, or a career path, we don’t allow ourselves the wonder of getting lost, missing out on the learning that comes with navigating our way through the unknown.

What this last year has taught me in tangible ways, is the value of not only getting lost, but staying put, until I experience the joy of being found.