“I had a purpose before anyone had an opinion.” — You’ll find out who said this later.
God gave each of us a purpose long before anyone else had a chance to weigh in. Before the opinions, the criticism, the comparisons, or the expectations, there was purpose.
It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of life and start believing that other people’s opinions define our worth or direction. But they don’t. What matters is doing what you believe is right, living the best life you can, and honoring God and your family along the way.
When you stay grounded in your purpose, the outside noise starts to lose its power. And that’s where real peace and confidence come from.
It’s also easy to fall into the trap of tying our worth to success, money made, status achieved, or the things we own. I’ve fallen into that trap myself. There was a time when I made baseball my identity. When things didn’t go the way I hoped, I found myself in some unhealthy places.
That season taught me something important: purpose doesn’t change based on performance. Opinions might. Purpose is given to you by God; opinions are formed by people.
Don’t put weight on opinions from people you wouldn’t go to for advice.
Be careful not to sell yourself short. When we live according to the opinions of others, we often hold back because we’re worried about what they might think. That fear can keep us from reaching our full potential. I try to encourage you to attack everything you do with passion and be the absolute best that you can.
Step out of your comfort zone and live the life you’re called to live. “Let go and let God” isn’t just a saying; it’s something we have to actively work toward. And while it isn’t easy, it can be incredibly freeing. It’s a process we may move in and out of, but keep showing up. Work daily to trust Him with everything.
Here are a few quotes that tie this all together:
“I keep God at the center of everything. I give Him all the praise. I lean on Him all the time. And I know that everything unfolds the way it’s supposed to.”
“God is greater than any high or low, and He’s there unconditionally. So I’m just leaning on Him.”
“He who kneels before God can stand before any man.”
All of these quotes, including the one that opened this article, were said by Jalen Hurts.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Jalen Hurts fan — and an even bigger Eagles fan. But fandom aside, there’s a reason I chose him for this message.
Jalen Hurts is constantly criticized. He’s a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, yet he’s regularly questioned, doubted, and torn down by the media and fans alike. People say he’s not good enough. Some say they just don’t like him.
But when you step back and really look at it, he doesn’t appear to live for public approval. He consistently gives credit to God for his success and doesn’t seem shaken by the outside noise.
That tells me something.
Opinions are formed by the media and by people around us. They change daily. God’s opinion doesn’t.
And I don’t know about you, but that’s someone I root for.
The Bible verse I chose this week is one Jalen Hurts tweeted during a tough season in his career, after being benched despite leading his team to the national championship:
“You may not know now, but later you will understand.” – John 13:7
Think about that. I’m sure we’ve all been in moments where something feels incredibly painful, confusing, or unfair, and we can’t understand why it’s happening. But when we look back later, those very moments often shape us into who we are today. Without them, we wouldn’t be the same person.
Our Purpose isn’t to have the world’s approval, it’s to have God’s.
