Purpose (Episode 3)

Purpose (Episode 3)

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This conversation on Relational Recovery zooms in on a question that almost everyone in recovery wrestles with: what’s my purpose? Host Wes Thompson and co-host Austin Hill talk honestly about how purpose connects to Christian faith, identity, and relationships. They frame purpose through Jesus’ words: loving God and loving your neighbour as yourself. Sounds simple, but as they unpack it, you’ll hear just how complex those three pieces really are.

Austin highlights that loving God isn’t just saying the right words or knowing facts about a distant figure. It’s about an intimate relationship that faces up to God’s perfection, our own imperfections, and the messy history of how we’ve experienced love in childhood, relationships, and past mistakes. That kind of love becomes lifelong work rather than a quick afternoon exercise. The episode also digs into what it actually means to love your neighbour as yourself.

Wes and Austin point out that to do this well, you need to understand your own stress, anxiety, joy, and celebrations — and then be willing to know those things about other people too. For those in recovery, this touches directly on identity: “Who am I? What do I believe? And why does it matter?” Wes shares a vulnerable story about growing up in church and misreading God’s love as something you earn by performance.

He compares it with watching his young son Clive play sports; what matters most isn’t being the best, but simply being with him and enjoying who he is. That picture challenges the idea of having to perform for God to be loved. At its heart, the episode suggests that receiving love from God and others is central to finding purpose and building healthy, loving relationships.

For anyone dealing with unwanted behaviours, it raises a gentle yet important question: are you letting yourself be loved before trying to love everyone else?