Never Give Up: Hostage – the Story We Tell OurselvesSample

Day 6: When Belief Meets Purpose

The Calling of Jeremiah

When God called Jeremiah, the prophet responded with doubt: “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But God reassured him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” Despite Jeremiah’s uncertainty, God reminded him that purpose isn’t based on performance—it’s rooted in identity and belief. Once Jeremiah trusted God’s voice over his own insecurity, his calling began.

Praying for a Sign God Is real

After my mindset shifted at Landmark Forum, I felt like a new man. I saw the world differently. I spoke differently. I believed in myself in a way I never had before. But something was still missing.

Even with newfound purpose and passion, a quiet question kept tugging at my heart: Why am I here? What’s the point of all this?

I couldn’t shake the sense that there was something bigger than self-improvement. Something spiritual. Something divine.

That curiosity led me to St. Gregory’s Catholic Church one weekend. I didn’t go with anyone. I just showed up. Sat in the back pew. And whispered a prayer I wasn’t sure God would even hear.

“God, if you’re real, could You show me? Could You send someone to help me understand why I’m here?”

I didn’t hear a booming voice. I didn’t see a sign in the sky. But a few weeks later, on my 21st birthday, I bumped into a girl I vaguely remembered from high school. Her name was Julia.

At first, I called her the wrong name. (Not my smoothest move.) But despite the awkward start, we struck up a conversation and agreed to meet again for lunch.

That lunch turned into hours of talking, laughing, and sharing. That led to another scheduled lunch where she gave me an article about autism—because she remembered I had a sister with special needs. That level of thoughtfulness caught my attention.

We kept seeing each other. And over time, something became clear: God hadn’t just sent me a new relationship—He had sent me a guide. Julia was strong in her faith. She loved Jesus. And for the first time, I saw faith not just as a ritual, but as a relationship.

Eventually, she invited me to her church—a vibrant, spirit-filled place where worship was joyful and people were genuine. I was nervous. I wasn’t used to raising my hands or feeling tears well up in worship. But I felt something real. Something sacred.

Then, one Sunday, the pastor invited people to receive Christ. To surrender. To stop trying to earn love and just accept it.

I stood. I prayed. And I gave my life to Jesus.

That was the moment my purpose finally clicked into place.

Devotional Reflection

Mindset can change your direction—but belief changes your identity.

For years, I believed that success was about proving people wrong. That my purpose was tied to performance. But when I met Jesus, everything changed. I realized I wasn’t created just to survive or succeed. I was created to know God, love people, and live a life that mattered for eternity.

So many of us live trapped in performance mode—believing we have to earn our value or prove our worth. But God doesn’t work like that. Before you ever made a mistake—or a decision—He called you. He knew you. And He set you apart.

Belief isn’t just agreeing that God exists. It’s trusting that what He says about you is true—even when your feelings or past say otherwise.

Your story doesn’t start with trauma or rejection. It starts with God. And when you believe that, everything changes.

Action Step

Ask God to show you how He sees you. Write down one sentence that captures your identity in Christ (e.g., “I am chosen,” “I am set apart,” “I am loved and called”). Say it every day this week. Let belief anchor you in truth.

Reflection Questions

1. What were you taught—explicitly or subtly—about what makes you valuable?
2. How has your view of God impacted your view of yourself?
3. What would change if you truly believed you were created on purpose, for a purpose?