POST 50: On Purpose and for a Purpose
POST 50
On Purpose and for a Purpose
The world around us can be overwhelming.
The constant cycle of news and social media fills our minds with everything that’s wrong. Environmental catastrophe, animal extinction, racial injustice, the oppression of women, child poverty . . . We hear about it all, and it feels like we can’t do anything to help. We’re not in charge, and our voices are too small.
You might wonder, How can I be an effective activist when there are so many problems clamoring for my attention?
I (Kristel) once struggled with this very question.
The Random Facts of Your Life Aren’t So Random
Did you know God made us all unique? Have you ever considered that God did that on purpose?
When I looked at my own story, I realized there were some very specific things God was calling me to. You see, I come from an immigrant family. We came to the US from Latin America. I was raised in Miami, one of the most densely immigrant-populated cities in the country. I grew up bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. For a long time, these felt like random facts about my life—nothing of much importance. I couldn’t see how my story had anything to do with God’s story. Surely, God didn’t care about all that. Didn’t God see us all the same anyway?
But as I embraced my ethnicity, culture, and migration story, I began to see how I could speak into situations from a unique perspective. I had something to say about immigration. I had something to say about racial diversity. My life experiences and my faith taught me that immigrants matter to God because we are made in God’s image. Immigrants bring value and wisdom. Immigrants experience God personally and profoundly and have unique insights about God to share with local believers.
My life experiences and faith taught me that God values diversity and that we should strive to celebrate the unique ways God made us, which include our skin color, hair texture, culture, and language. God sees everything that makes us who we are and loves every creative detail.
Yes, we are equal in the eyes of God, but we are not the same. Unity doesn’t mean uniformity; instead, we can find unity within our diversity.
Every time I thought about immigration and racial justice, my heart beat faster. I was passionate and deeply invested in making a difference in these two areas. I knew I could have maximum impact if I focused most of my attention on speaking up and writing about these issues and partnering with organizations working toward improving the lives of immigrants and repairing relationships between people of different ethnicities. I pored over my Bible and read books. I wanted to know everything I could about immigration and racial reconciliation from God’s perspective.
Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t care about all the other causes in our world.
There are other people to whom God has given unique stories and passions. God has placed desires in their hearts to fight for orphans or remind those in prison they’re deeply loved or clean up our beaches and rain forests. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to fight for every form of justice on my own. I don’t have to take on all the problems of the world. I can focus on the area God gave me, and I can trust others to focus on the areas God has given them.
That’s why you are so needed. Your story. Your perspective. Your passion. Your concerns. Your gifts. They all have a place in God’s story. You can use these to meet a need, answer a prayer, and share God’s love in a hurting world.
READING GOD’S WORD
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
Serve each other according to the gift each person has received, as good managers of God’s diverse gifts. (1 Peter 4:10)
REFLECT AND RESPOND
Journaling Questions
What’s your story? What’s unique about your culture, family, or upbringing?
What are you passionate about, and how can you use those passions to make a difference in the world?
Where do you see God lining up your story with your passions?
God, I praise you for the unique way you created me. Every quirk, every passion, every gift, every talent—you gave them to me on purpose and for a purpose. Help me to seek your will when using my gifts. Help me to see how I can seek justice in our world and partner with you to bring heaven to earth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SOMETHING TO TRY
Who around you is working for a cause that you feel passionately about? Reach out to them and ask how they got started. Spend time praying and seeking God’s wisdom for how you can join the cause as well.
THE TAKEAWAY
Your passions, ethnicity, culture, and gifts are not random or accidental. God has uniquely created you with intent and purpose for the good of the world.