Purpose (Episode 2)

Purpose (Episode 2)

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? In this conversation from Relational Recovery, the focus lands on something deeper than behaviour change: purpose. Host Wes Thompson, joined by co-host Austin Hill, talks through how purpose is framed in a Christian worldview and why that matters for people wrestling with unwanted behaviours and addiction. Instead of jumping straight to "what am I supposed to do?", Wes suggests starting with "who am I?" and "why am I?".

He points out that many Christians think of purpose mainly as a task, like making disciples, yet he argues that purpose begins before any action: "We're made not to do things for God. We're made to be in relationship with God, first and foremost." For those with a Christian perspective, purpose is tied to how God made the world and to a larger story that isn’t self-created.

The episode contrasts this with an irreligious view, where purpose is seen as autonomous – something each person invents for themselves. Wes notes that this difference in starting point creates a lot of confusion in a society full of competing worldviews and scripts about success, productivity and performance. In a culture that’s "so doing activistic oriented", he suggests that people often define themselves by what they accomplish rather than by being loved by God.

Drawing from scriptures like Psalm 57, Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 4:13, the discussion highlights a relational purpose rooted in the love of God and the Christian understanding of the Trinity. Humans are described as "made by love, we're made for love", with identity coming from being made in the image of God rather than from achievements.

For anyone in recovery who feels crushed by performance or confused about their calling, this episode offers a different starting point: you don’t have to invent your own purpose from scratch; you can begin by asking what it means to be loved and to live out of that love. Could reframing purpose this way change how you approach healing?