What would you say if God asked you to build something new from the ground up? Would you tell Him that the timing is bad because we’re in the middle of a pandemic? Would you tell Him no because the idea sounds too big for you to accomplish? If you’ve thought, “There’s no plan for my life,” or “I have no significant value,” I have news for you, Sis! God absolutely has a purpose and plan for you, and wants to speak to you concerning it. Yes, YOU have a God-given purpose for your life! To show what walking in your purpose can look like, I want to introduce you to an ordinary person that God called to build something extraordinary—his name is Noah.

During this season of Noah’s life, the earth was corrupt and filled with violence (perhaps not too far off from what we see today). Somehow, Noah found favor with God and He instructed Noah to build himself an ark. Why did He choose Noah? Not because Noah was perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but simply because it was Noah’s purpose to help God establish His covenant in the earth. God gave Noah a perfect blueprint for building the ark that Noah could not have possibly created by himself. He can also give YOU the blueprint for your life, your purpose, your business, or your ministry, because God specializes in the extraordinary.

God has thought of every intricate detail concerning your life; you can rest in the fact that God is a master planner. He knows how to speak to you with details that leave no room for ambiguity…you will know that you know that you know the plan was from God. He also makes the provision for everything that will be needed on the journey to your purpose, just as He did with Noah. God provided for every part of His plan for Noah—not only the ark building materials but also protection, food, and nourishment. God’s plan covered everything that would be needed for the 40 days on the ark with Noah’s family AND the animals.

Here are 11 keys to responding to God’s purpose for your life and “building yourself an ark.” We can use these same principles as God’s blueprint for entrepreneurship and business management because God is the ultimate developer, mastermind, and CEO.

1. Prepare for tough times.
2. Start building.
3. Know that it’s going to take time.
4. Have a plan.
5. Watch your timing.
6. Stay calm in the storm.
7. Be a servant.
8. Serve family.
9. Take the narrow path.
10. Let your results speak for you.
11. Learn a little humility.

Noah was a humble man who didn’t get caught up in what everyone else around him was doing. He was willing to be called crazy because he realized that God had spoken to his heart. If God tells you to build a company and it doesn’t seem like it makes sense for anybody else or if the timing seems off, maybe He has given you the ingenuity for a special invention that can only be birthed through YOU! Fully commit to the plan He gives you and set out with strong determination to accomplish it. Even during the storms, stay with it, just as Noah stayed committed to the ark, and you’ll begin to see how God uses what He called you to build. We must all look at the purpose for our lives and realize that we don’t have to be perfect to hear from God because He will speak to whoever is listening. Make up in your mind today to hear what God is calling you to build. It just may be the thing He is looking for to create something new and beautiful in the earth!