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You are an individual with your own personality, interests, and abilities. You have an identity. Therefore, you automatically have a built-in purpose.
Your identity is inseparable from your purpose. If God intentionally created you as distinct from others, there must be a reason for your uniqueness. Why would God have made you if He didn’t want someone just like you?
Purpose Implies Many Other Profound Truths
While you can’t expect to discover your purpose overnight, you can be sure you have one at all times. If you always have a purpose, here is what also must be true at all times:
Your life is intentional.
God made you with intention. You are who you are because of His purpose. There are no coincidences. You aren’t like a random fish in a vast ocean that contains an uncountable number of fish. You aren’t an interchangeable part—one of many other identical fish. God knows you by your name.
What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31 NLT
He knows you so completely that He placed you with your character, skills, and abilities in the time and place for you to live (Act 17:26).
You are a work of art.
You are a planned, deliberate, creative design. You’re not an accident. Your personality isn’t a mistake. You’re not lame or inferior. You’re not a reject. You’re not God’s failed experiment.
While we all need to admit that we have flaws, we have a real need to see ourselves apart from our flaws. One day (in the next life) you will no longer have these flaws. So they can’t be so significant today. The wrong you do today isn’t really a part of who you are.
Flaws can also be misrepresented. What might seem like a weakness–a personal defect–could actually be a misplaced strength. A fish is weak on dry land but strong in the water.
Just existing is meaningful.
What you feel, think, and do is significant. Even when seems like you are accomplishing nothing, you’re doing something. No matter how you feel about your deeds—whether they feel significant or not, in God’s eyes, they are important. To be alive means you are productive. God wired you to thrive by pursuing a relationship with Him.
You have significant work to do.
The more you understand life, the more you will know what to do. Not only can you make an important contribution in this life, but you were intentionally designed to do so.
You have a destiny to fulfill.
You will not only make a contribution, but you will be completing the work God planned for you when He made you.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
You are wanted and needed.
All of this means that you, in all of your uniqueness, are needed. Without your participation, the outcome of any given relationship or task will play out in a different way than if you were involved. This doesn’t mean that God’s plans are limited by your refusal to participate. God will fulfill His purposes. Nothing can prevent or delay His will. But He chose you to participate. You are a masterpiece; you are one-of-a-kind.
Purpose Will Be Elusive Until You Know Who You Are
Having and understanding your identity provides numerous benefits. Can you imagine how knowing you have a purpose at all times helps you live each day? Now then, are you able to wake up excited about your day?
What’s your purpose? If knowing your purpose or even believing you have one is still difficult, then you first need to focus on learning who you are.
When you know your identity, you will know your purpose. When you are unsure of your purpose, then it is a signal to grow by digging deeper into understanding your identity. Because of your God-given identity, you have a purpose, and knowing this purpose allows you to claim your destiny.
Read more about purpose.
Image by René Schaubhut from Pixabay
Updated on August 22, 2022
Matt Pavlik is a licensed professional clinical counselor who wants to see each individual restored to their true identity. He has more than 20 years of experience counseling individuals and couples at his Christian counseling practice, New Reflections Counseling. Matt and Georgette have been married since 1999 and live with their four children in Centerville, Ohio.
Matt’s courses and books contain practical exercises that help God’s truth spring to life:
I believe there are no coincidences and that my life is not an accident. I do not feel needed. In fact, it is not often that I feel needed. Mostly it is my kids want something from me which could equate to being needed. This has not brought me to my purpose nor my identity. Right now I am looking for a job you to pass the time because what I do is work, eat and sleep as well as occasionally help people. I am a follower of Christ. That is my identity at this point in life and that is good.