Like a Warrior - The Weight of Purpose

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” – Genesis 2:15

There’s a common belief that work is a punishment—that it’s something we were forced into after sin entered the world. But that’s not what scripture shows us. Before the fall, before the first act of rebellion, God gave Adam work. He placed him in the Garden of Eden and instructed him to tend it, to take care of it, to cultivate it. Work was never meant to be a curse. It was always part of our design. We were created to engage with the world around us, to take on responsibility, and to contribute to something larger than ourselves.

Humans are built for purpose. It runs deeper than career goals or financial success. It’s the inner sense that our effort matters—that we are part of something meaningful. When people lose touch with that sense of purpose, it often leads to restlessness, depression, and emotional numbness. You see it everywhere today. People are overwhelmed, yet unfulfilled. Busy, but aimless. The truth is, it’s not that we’re doing too much—it’s that we’re not doing the right things. We’re not working toward anything that gives us direction or identity.

This is why depression and anxiety have become so widespread. While the causes of mental health struggles are complex, one often overlooked factor is the lack of purpose, direction, or even perceived options. When people feel like they have nothing to strive for, no clear goal, and no way forward, it begins to feel like hopelessness. That’s what depression often is—not just sadness, but a deep sense that nothing matters and nothing will change. But knowledge and purpose are powerful antidotes. When we begin to understand ourselves, our gifts, and our potential, and when we set our eyes on something worth building, it creates a way out of the fog. Purpose lights the path forward.

Doing hard things is not what breaks us. In fact, difficulty is the only thing that really helps us grow. It stretches our limits, tests our resolve, and reveals what we’re capable of. Growth never happens in a comfort zone. When life becomes too easy, too passive, too disconnected from effort and challenge, the human spirit begins to wither. We may not notice it at first, but the absence of meaningful work quietly eats away at our joy and sense of worth.

Purpose doesn’t have to be glamorous. It could be raising a child, building a business, serving your community, or mastering a craft. It could be showing up consistently in a role no one else sees. What matters is that it challenges you and calls something deeper out of you. When we work toward something that matters, our lives gain momentum. We walk differently. We think differently. We begin to carry ourselves with intention and hope.

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unmotivated, take a moment and ask yourself honestly: What am I working toward? What am I building with my time, my energy, and my gifts? If the answer is “nothing,” don’t be surprised if life feels empty or heavy. But the good news is this: purpose isn’t something we find—it’s something we create through action, commitment, and effort. It begins the moment we decide to step into the work we were made for.

You weren’t created to sit on the sidelines of your own life. You were made to work, to build, to grow. Not because you have to—but because that’s where the fullness of life begins. Live Like a Warrior!