Purpose (Full Episode)

Purpose (Full Episode)

What drives someone to seek a life without addiction? This conversation between hosts Wes Thompson and Austin Hill zooms in on one central idea: purpose. Aimed at men in recovery and anyone wrestling with unwanted behaviours, the episode blends Christian spirituality, psychology, and plain honesty about how addiction can rob people of meaning. From the start, Wes and Austin frame purpose as more than a job or a dream career.

Austin jokes about his childhood goal of becoming a professional baseball player, using it to show how our sense of purpose shifts over time. Wes pushes the discussion deeper, pointing out that from their Christian perspective, "our most fundamental identity in nature is that we're image bearers of God" and that purpose begins with who someone is, not just what they do.

They keep coming back to Jesus’ command to "love God and love your neighbour as yourself" as a clear, relational definition of purpose. Austin breaks this down into three big questions: "Who am I, what do I believe and why the heck does it matter?" The episode stays grounded in everyday experience, talking about shame, fear of being wrong, and the pressure to perform for God rather than actually receiving love.

Addiction is addressed head-on as something that hijacks attention and blocks love. Wes quotes Gerald May’s idea that "attention and love are intimate partners" and explains how compulsive behaviour can leave "no room for attending to anything else" – including relationships with God or other people.

Rather than leaving things abstract, they offer practical steps: renewing mind and body, being patient with pain in growth, and, very simply, working towards having around twelve close friends as a way to live out purpose day by day. If you’re wondering where your life is heading or how addiction has tangled up your sense of meaning, this episode might prompt you to ask: what would it look like to let yourself be loved first, and move from there?