In 2024, my co-worker introduced the term “ikigai” to me following her spring trip to Okinawa.
Ikigai
- Ikigai is a Japanese Philosophical Term
- “Iki” (生き) – meaning “life”
- “Gai” (甲斐) – meaning “worth” or “value”
- The Oxford English Dictionary defines ikigai as “a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living.”
- The term ikigai refers to one’s reason for being
- Everyone has an ikigai
My roots are planted in a simple environment. I grew up with the understanding that your purpose is what others deem acceptable. The idea that every person has an individualistic purpose in life that can be achieved through their God-given perception and experiences (good or bad) was extremely foreign. It is a part of me that I now thank the Lord for – it was an experience that curated my purpose; nonetheless, it is the reason that I resonated with this term so deeply.
There is a cultural context to the term ikigai. There is a traditional perception of it, then a Westernized perception. In Japan, the term ikigai is casually used. My coworker was introduced to this term within her first few days of being there. Both of us, being born in America and fully immersed in Westernized culture, were inspired by the introduction of a daily pursuit of purpose. Ikigai has been adopted by a Westernized interpretation as a self-help framework. Japanese tradition perceives ikigai as a daily pursuit- what brings joy and reason for waking up each morning. Ikigai has been popularized as the intersection of four elements:
What you can be paid for
What you love
What you are good at
What the world needs
Before continuing to read, take a moment to pause and recognize your thoughts following the introduction of this term. Like my coworker and I, maybe you have already been inspired by this word. Where is your mind taking you? Does this term bring peace to you? Maybe meditating on why you were placed on this Earth at this time places stress on your spirit. Meditate on that initial thought. My beginning thought: What is my ikigai? I remember taking a sticky note off my desk and writing Ikigai = unknown. I felt challenged. It felt like an unanswered question for me. A question that only our creator could answer.
The idea that everyone has a purpose was encouraged before the term ikigai – purpose was instilled since the creation of Earth. When God created the Earth, he created mankind – Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve served a great purpose to God, they were more than just a creation. The Lord blessed them with gifts. Adam and Eve were given love, free will, and discernment of good and evil.
Adam and Eve were a great representation amongst many other Biblical figures of the Lord’s dedication to his creation. His first creation of mankind, the ultimate embodiment of our Lord’s love. They served the purpose of multiplying His love and being the foundation for generations of humans placed to create, serve, and trust in the creation of God. What started as a seed of creation blossomed into many beautiful seeds of creation.
Genesis 1:27-28 is where we witness God’s creation to mankind and set purpose for Adam and Eve.
And God made humankind; according to divine image he made it; male and female he made them. And God blessed them, saying, “Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and all the cattle and all the earth and all the creeping things that creep upon the earth (Genesis 1:27-28).
When I curate a visual depiction of ikigai, I visualize flowers and their beginning. There are various species of flowers in the world. Some flowers are native to Asia and there are others native to the Middle East – there are flowers native to Alaska with many cold months. Nonetheless, every flower serves beauty and significance wherever God placed the seed to grow.
There are seasons where we see flower species prosper, and others do not. Some seeds need more sunlight and tons of water to grow, whereas others need less sunlight and minimal water. No matter the needs or habitats, all seeds have the opportunity to blossom at their appointed time. Every flower seed is a beautiful creation of God with an opportunity to find its soil and blossom.
Psalm 139:13 (NIV):
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” This verse highlights the Lord’s intentional creation of us even before birth. My spirit emphasized the word knit being used. When you knit, you are taking thin and small loops of yarn to create something more intricate known as fabric. Fabric is used to create a structural pattern that is developed into a tangible item or accessory that serves a purpose. The Bible does not say that the Lord put us together in the womb – it doesn’t say that he crafted us in the womb. The Bible states that the Lord knitted us in our mother’s womb. A process that is gradual, intricate, and takes vision. There is a purpose to knitting; there is an initial stage for a greater and inspiring result. The Lord did not wait to give you a set purpose until you hit college and decided to get a job. He created you with purpose; he knitted your purpose into your inner being.
If you are struggling to understand your ikigai, ask Him who created it. If you are struggling to define purpose, look to Him who created it. 1. Proverbs 16:4 (ESV) “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” We know that God has created everything with a purpose. We witness this daily. With water, soil, light, and air – all natural occurrences serving their God-given purpose comes the growth of a tree, which we know to give us oxygen. The simple standing trees that we pass on the side of the road are the very thing that gives us air to breathe. Genesis 1:26–27 (NIV) “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” God gave humans dominion over the rest of creation – we have dominion over some of the very things that provide us with oxygen, and if they can serve such a substantial purpose, I believe we can serve an even greater one.
I write and create this blog with the belief that we are all intricately knitted with passion and purpose. We cannot truly know ourselves without knowing God – he will show you your gifts. His creation for mankind was not to fill a spot, but to fulfill his greater purpose.
The foundation of our purpose is our ikigai. It is discovering what the Lord has created us to be passionate and driven about. The lies of this world will mask your ikigai with hurt and lies – it will give you a false narrative of where you belong. Let the Lord show you the truth, open your heart for him to make it plain and known. we live in a world where our purpose is clumped with others’ purpose. It is fitting to get your undergraduate degree and become a lawyer or nurse. What if the Lord is calling you to something far greater – a path that requires faith and true courage. A path of utter submission to him. What if we have been so set on going with the flow of society that we have not stopped to ask him what HE wants us to do?
My goal for anyone reading this is to search your heart. No matter how confident you feel in the path that you are on – allow the Lord to challenge it. Fast, meditate, and spend time in silence searching for where the Lord is calling you. Ask Him to show you not what your purpose is, but who he created you to be. Ask the Lord who he intended for you to be when he knitted you in your mother’s womb. You could have always been a shy kid, but the Lord is calling you to boldness – leave the comfort of this world and step into his role for you. If his answer is scary, it is something that you never intended to pursue – open up to him and let him know. He is a patient God, and he knows that what he asks is not always easy. Psalm 103:8 (NIV)“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Your ikigai – your set reason for living is greater than your occupation or title. It is your character and experiences; it is the love that you have allowed the Lord to let into your heart and flood into every area of your life. I challenge my readers to put trust not in themselves but in Him – the great I AM.
In search of my own ikigai, I have felt insecure and incapable. I grew up in search of a purpose without even believing I really had one. I will continue to dive into the depths of my experiences throughout this blog and how it has established my purpose and continue to; however, it was the last year when the Lord challenged me to question the motives of my heart. In a moment of meditation, I asked the Lord how to step into what He’s calling for me and I gently began to write out:
Dream the dreams you will have to face when your heart outweighs your brain. The thoughts that were once how will I now become because he is the Great I AM. There is more to learn and lots to love, fight for a greater purpose – start by believing you are enough.
So, exit this page by telling yourself that you are enough. You do not have to wonder how you will do it because you serve a God who will navigate that concern for you. He just needs you to surrender your dreams to Him and submit to His will. Take that first step of submission today – ask the Lord how you personally can submit your dreams and heart to him and give him time to respond. Pray for a heart that recognizes his voice and how to respond. Your ikigai is not an immediate discovery; it will take living each day in the present and drawing near to the Lord. But there is always a beginning. So take that first step today! Know that God wants to use you to grow his kingdom. Believe in that.
Ask yourself – what is my ikigai?
Thank you for reading. God Bless.
Live With Purpose,
Laila :p