Let me start with a question: Have you ever felt like life is just drifting by?
You get up, get jobs done, come home, eat dinner, watch a bit of TV, go to bed…
and then do it all again the next day.
Week after week, month after month.
And sometimes we stop and wonder: “Is this really it? Is this all there is to life?”
A recent survey said that a huge number of people in the UK don’t feel their work or their lives have much meaning.
And maybe you’ve felt that way too.
Life can feel like being stuck on autopilot – we’re moving, but we’re not really going anywhere.
But here’s the good news:
the Bible tells us we were made for more.
We can either drift through life without purpose,
or we can be driven by God’s greater plan for us.
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1. The Problem of Drifting (Ecclesiastes 1:1–11)
Let’s listen to Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1. He says:
“Meaningless, meaningless… utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
Not exactly a cheery start, is it?
But Solomon isn’t being dramatic – he’s being honest.
He looks at life “under the sun,” life without God at the centre, and he says it feels like going in circles.
• The sun rises and sets,
• the wind blows round and round,
• rivers flow into the sea,
and yet nothing really changes.
That’s what drifting feels like.
No clear direction.
Just carried along by circumstances.
No bigger reason for getting up in the morning.
Let me give you a picture.
Imagine being in a boat - without oars.
You’re afloat, you’re moving, but you’re not choosing the direction.
The current decides where you end up.
And that’s how many people live life – drifting wherever the current of culture or circumstance takes them.
Drifting might feel easy in the short term, but it always leads to frustration in the end.
We end up asking Solomon’s question: “What do people gain from all their labours at which they toil under the sun?”
In other words: What’s the point?
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2. The Invitation to More (John 10:10)
But into that emptiness, Jesus speaks a completely different word.
In John 10:10 He says:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
That’s the turning point.
That’s the invitation.
Jesus says, “You were made for more.”
Think about it: the enemy – the thief – wants to rob us of meaning and purpose.
He’s happy for us to drift, because drifting never leads to the life God wants for us.
But Jesus came to offer life to the full.
Now, what does that mean?
It doesn’t mean
• more stuff,
• more money, or
• more busyness.
A full life is not about cramming our calendar.
o It’s about living with God’s purpose at the centre.
o It’s about relationships shaped by love, not convenience.
o It’s about everyday choices made with intention, not apathy.
When Jesus is at the centre, life gains weight and meaning.
It has direction.
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3. Driven by God’s Purpose (Application)
So, how do we move from drifting to being driven by God’s purpose?
First, let’s be clear –
being “driven” by God’s purpose doesn’t mean frantic activity or endless striving.
It’s not about trying to prove ourselves.
It’s about having a compass.
Knowing who we are, and
where we’re going,
because God is leading us.
Three things help us here:
1. Clarity – Ask God: “What have You made me for in this season?”
It might be being a light in your workplace.
It might be serving faithfully in your family.
It might be using your gifts here in church or in the community.
Purpose begins with clarity from God.
2. Conviction – Once you know, live it out with conviction.
Our culture is drifting fast –
? towards self,
? towards consumerism,
? towards emptiness.
If we don’t live by conviction, we’ll just get swept along.
Third thing to help us:
3. Commitment – Take an intentional step.
Don’t just hear this and nod along.
Ask: What’s one thing I can do this week to live with God’s purpose?
It could be starting each day with prayer.
It could be offering encouragement to a friend.
It could be serving someone in need.
Purpose is lived out in small, consistent steps.
I think of people I’ve known who lived for years without God – drifting
– until they met Jesus.
And suddenly life had colour, shape, and meaning.
They discovered they weren’t an accident.
They felt loved, called, and given direction.
That’s the difference Jesus makes.
Object Illustration 1: A Balloon vs. a Kite
• Balloon: (Hold up), “If I let this balloon go, the wind will take it wherever it likes.
It drifts with no control, no direction —
just carried along until eventually it bursts or falls.”
• Kite: “But a kite, though it’s in the same wind, is held by a string.
Because it’s anchored, it can soar higher, catch the wind, and fly with purpose.
The difference isn’t the wind —
it’s the connection.
We all face the winds of circumstances, pressures, and culture.
Without an anchor, we drift. [p]
When we’re held by Jesus Christ,
our lives have direction and lift.
He helps us live –
not just drifting, but driven with purpose.”
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Conclusion
So let’s bring this together.
Life without God’s purpose is drifting – like Solomon’s circles in Ecclesiastes.
Life with Jesus is driven – not by pressure, but
by God’s love, grace, and calling.
If you’re a Christian today, let me ask:
What area of your life is drifting right now?
Where do you need to pick up the oars again and give them to God set your direction?
And if you’re still searching, maybe you feel the emptiness Solomon described – the pointlessness of just going through the motions.
Could it be that what you’re really searching for is the life Jesus promises?
A life to the full?
I truly believe you were made for more.
Don’t settle for drifting when God is offering you direction.
Life gives us many currents that can cause us to drift —
• work pressures,
• cultural expectations,
• our own doubts and fears.
•
But the alternative isn’t simply to “try harder” or to “find purpose” by ourselves.
For me, the alternative is to follow a Person — Jesus Christ – maybe it is for you too.
When Jesus called His first disciples,
o He didn’t give them a five-year plan.
o He didn’t say, “Figure out your purpose.”
o He said: “Follow Me.” (Matthew 4:19).
Purpose isn’t discovered in isolation;
it’s discovered in relationship with Him.
Jesus is the anchor/string when life feels adrift.
He is the One who gives direction when we feel lost.
He is the Shepherd who leads us into life in all its fullness (John 10:10).
So:
• Will you keep drifting — letting circumstances and culture decide where you end up?
• Or will you be driven — choosing to follow Jesus, the One who can give you meaning, hope, and eternal life?
Following Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll know every detail of the journey.
But it does mean you’ll know who you’re walking with.
And that changes everything.
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VIDEO SONG: Drifting or Driven (Youtube page "Highfield Community Baptist Church")
Closing Prayer
“Lord, forgive us when we drift through life without purpose. Thank You that, in Jesus You offer us life to the full. Help us to discover Your purpose for us, and to live driven by Your love and calling. Amen.”
