There is only one of you, and there will only be one of you. God has so ordered your life, circumstances, and gifting for this time. You’ve been given one life to go all out for His glory as the person He created you to be.

Let this truth sink in: God intentionally created you for this day and no other to serve Him and love others in a way that only you can. So often, people wonder, How can my life make a difference in this world? We only have a limited time in this life, and we want it to matter.

The answer to those questions has to begin with your identity revealed in Scripture. The Bible anchors your identity first in God and His creative plan. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God formed your inward parts and knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16). Scripture also says that He planned the where and when of your life (Acts 17:26-27).

Identity is given by God, not curated by us. We do not primarily discover who we are by looking inwardly or chasing desires; we see ourselves clearly when we see our Creator clearly. He made us in His image to reflect His glory to the rest of the world.

I once heard a story about a man who was in desperate financial straits, so he takes a job at a zoo impersonating the recently deceased gorilla. He puts on the gorilla suit day after day, swinging from vines. He got surprisingly good at it, becoming one of the zoo’s star attractions. One day, he overdoes it, swings too far on a vine, and lands in the lion’s cage. Terrified, he starts screaming for help. The lion pads over to him, puts a paw on his chest, and whispers, “Shut up, you fool, or we’ll both be out of a job!”

Too often, we live out our days as though we are putting on a performance, wearing a mask that hides who we truly are. God didn’t create you to be great at someone else’s job; He created you for a calling that only you can live out.

Knowing that God crafted you with purpose and brought you into this world for this specific time changes everything. God doesn’t just crank out generic humans. He hand-stiches us, knowing ahead of time how we can best serve Him with joy.

From our youth, we are often told what we should do and be. Social pressure encourages us to follow convention, go with flow, and abide by a set of unwritten rules. Maybe we’ve even heard from parents or coaches, “Why can’t you be more like so-and-so?”

But what’s often missed is that there is something genuinely unique that each person brings to the table. I’ve heard it said that every person’s life could make a page-turning novel.

And if conformity is all we know, we can miss the specific purpose God intends us to play. If the goal is to fall in line with everyone else, then you can begin to feel like another cog in the machine.

The fact is, God calls each Christian to “not be conformed to the pattern of this world,” but instead to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Part of that mind renewal is understanding who God created you to be and what He created you to do. No one else can fulfill the calling that God has entrusted to you.

Sometimes, we might feel the pressure to be great at everything, but newsflash: You can’t be great at everything. If God created you uniquely, then there is a custom-designed set of gifts that you’ve been given. You will have certain strengths that belong only to you. But that also means that others will have strengths you don’t have.

Some of us are great at singing; some of us (including myself) are not so great. Some of us are gifted in areas of constructing buildings; others will be gifted in building relationships. Some will be gifted in communication; others will be gifted in cooking.

If you’re a parent, it’s not an accident that you have the kids you do. When God thought them up, He had you in mind as the parent they needed.

Every one of us is called to love God with our entire selves and love others (Matthew 22:37-40), but how you live out that purpose will be unique to you.

Ephesians 2:10 says that you are God’s “workmanship.” The Greek word is poiema and literally means “poem or masterpiece”. You were created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand. So, God intentionally wrote this extraordinary poem that is your life. He molded and shaped a masterpiece called you, and He fashioned you with specific “good works” in mind.

So, how do you know what those good works are? You discover your gifts by serving. You ask the Lord to reveal His heart for you. You submit plans to Him. Then you go and serve where He leads. Pay attention to what pricks your heart. Notice what passion is growing in your heart. God works His will out in our lives through His Holy Spirit who empowers us (Philippians 2:13).

So, don’t feel the pressure to be great at everything. Play to your strengths. God wants you to be great in the areas He has gifted you, not in the areas He hasn’t.

You’ll know your God-given calling if you find yourself serving Him and blessing others with joy. Having joy in serving doesn’t mean it will be easy to live out that purpose. It was “for the joy set before Him” that Jesus endured the Cross for us. But He knew it was God’s calling on His life, so He could rejoice in that purpose despite the agony He would face.

In the same way, be open to God leading you into opportunities to serve Him and do so with the mindset, I have been created for such a time as this.

A helpful exercise:

Make a list of things that you are great at doing. Be as specific and concrete as possible. For those with a sensitive conscience, this isn’t an exercise in pride. What you’re doing is identifying ways that God has gifted you to love and serve others. Then identify ways God can use those very gifts to advance His kingdom. Bonus challenge: Tell someone you know well about some of the gifts you see in them to encourage them!

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!