ikigai: is a Japanese word and concept meaning “reason for being.”
When God created humankind, he created them in His own likeness. Humans are uniquely created to mimic God in the way we live out our lives. In short, we are created to create. The fact that this word exists in Japanese and not in English tells me that many Japanese people have wrestled with this concept in great depth. Perhaps when a teenager, college student, or young adult is struggling with what to do with their life, they start with one of the four big circles… “What will pay me?” or “What am I good at?” Maybe if you’re fortunate enough, you can begin approaching one of the overlapping areas like “Vocation” or “Mission.” Very few people in the world achieve the center of their ikigai, or in other words, how God designed them to be in heart, mind, body, and spirit.
Genesis 1:1-3, 27
