You Were Created on Purpose, for a Purpose

Have you ever found yourself asking,

"God, what am I here for?"

I know I have.

There was a time in my life when I never imagined God would call me to teach His Word. In fact, if someone had told me years ago that I would one day stand before groups of people, lead Bible studies, mentor others, or write about Scripture, I would have thought, "You must have the wrong person, that's crazy."

I believed God had forgiven me.

I believed He loved me.

But I couldn't see how God could use my brokenness for His purpose.

Yet God has a way of rewriting our stories in a totally unexpected way.

He used the hardest season of my life to reveal something I never expected - my purpose.

Little by little, He began opening doors I never could have opened on my own. He called me to teach women while I was incarcerated. He allowed me to mentor others, translate His Word, and watch lives change, not because of anything extraordinary in me, but because of His extraordinary grace.

That's when I began to realize something.

God doesn't just save us from something.

He saves us for something.

For many of us, that's where the journey begins.

We celebrate the miracle of salvation and rightly so. There is no greater gift than being forgiven, redeemed, and made new through Jesus Christ. But sometimes we stop there. We never stop to ask, "What's next? What did you save me for?"

The truth is, salvation was never meant to be the finish line. It was the beginning of a new life with Christ - a life lived with purpose. The Creator of the universe invites ordinary people like you and me to participate in what He is doing in the world.

The apostle Paul reminds us:

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

Think about that for a moment.

Before you were born, God already had a purpose for your life.

Not because you earned it.

Not because of your education, abilities, or accomplishments.

And certainly not because your past was perfect.

Your purpose is rooted in God's grace.

That truth changed the way I viewed my own life.

Instead of asking, "Can God use someone like me?" I began asking, "Lord, how do You want to use me?"

Those are two very different questions. The first focuses on our limitations.

The second trusts God's ability.

But if God has created each of us with purpose, He wouldn't leave us wondering how to fulfill it. He doesn't expect us to figure it out on our own. He equips us. Throughout the New Testament, we see that God gives every believer spiritual gifts—not to make us feel important, but to help us serve others and build up the Body of Christ.

No one is overlooked.

No one is forgotten.

Every believer has a place.

Every believer has a purpose.

Maybe today you feel like I once did.

Perhaps you've wondered if your past has disqualified you.

Maybe you've compared yourself to others and concluded that God uses people who are more gifted, more confident, or more qualified than you.

If that's where you are, let me encourage you with this truth:

God is not looking for perfection. He is looking for surrendered hearts.

The God who restores lives is the same God who gives those restored lives a purpose.

Your story isn't an obstacle to His plan. In His hands, it can become part of His purpose for your life.

Take a Moment With God

This week, spend some time with the Lord and ask Him one simple question if you haven't discovered your spiritual gift:

"Lord, what have You created me for?"

If you already know how God has gifted you, ask Him:

"Lord, how do You want to use me today?"

Don't worry about having all the answers. Just begin the conversation.

He delights in revealing His heart to His children.

One step of obedience is often all God asks of us. He rarely reveals the entire journey at once.

Instead, He invites us to trust Him with the next step. As we do, He faithfully unfolds His purpose—one step at a time.

Next in this series:

What Are Spiritual Gifts—and What Are They Not?