What makes us unique? It is neither our fingerprint nor our retina. It is the very purpose of our life that makes us different. If not, then we are not different at all because it is the only thing that makes any difference to our lives and to the world.
"The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose", says Dr. Miles Monroe. Sadly, the majority of the human race lives without ever recognizing their purposes. People believe that finding purpose is a very hard task. But it is so simple if we listen to our inner voice in accordance with the Bible.
God has a general will or purpose for all 'saved' human beings. At the same time, each individual has a very specific purpose or role in the large general will of God.
God's general Will
Jesus taught disciples to pray, 'Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven'. His 'will' is not a secret. It is revealed all over the world through nature and embedded in the conscience of man and we identify it as 'Principles'. Principles are the laws of the Kingdom of God. The central message of Jesus was the Kingdom of God and He taught His disciples and people on the principles of Love, Justice, Kindness, faithfulness, etc... In the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 18-20), Jesus asked His followers to teach the whole world, what he taught them. All the problems, whatsoever, human beings face today, is the result of crossing the principles of God. Thus the general will of God is to reconcile humans to God and establish the principles of the Kingdom of God, on earth.
Our specific purpose
What makes us unique in that general purpose is our specific 'gift' or 'talent' or 'skill'. God has deposited a very specific skill in each human being. We come to know about that skill by recognizing our very special and constant interest in that area of our talent. We call it as 'Passion'. That encourages, puts pressure, and excites us to seek and pursue that particular gift. It can be related to any area, like sports, arts, business, communication, finance management, and even marketing. When we pursue it, give our best, train and sharpen it, it begins to glow like a diamond. Cleaning the wounds of a leper may not be considered as a glowing gift. But when someone did that out of her divine purpose, the whole world respected her by calling 'Mother Teresa'.
All the creatures of the universe do their purpose, but without knowing. For a butterfly, enjoying nectar is the way to sustain its life. But unknowingly, the butterfly fulfills its real purpose, the pollination that sustains the plant kingdom and thus the world. God loves human beings to know their purposes and effectively fulfill it for His Kingdom. We are born into this world to effectively use our gift to exhibit and establish the principles of God.
Good Vs Great!
Today's world believes in safety and comfort. We guide our generation to choose the safe career and prestigious jobs without recognizing that those careers and jobs became so safe and beautiful just because of someone who passionately pursued it as a part of his/her purpose. 'Nursing' was a stigmatized job until there came a Florence Nightingale, a woman with a fragile body and strong will. She was gifted in that area and she worked passionately with all the excitement, which changed that profession into one of the most demanding jobs in today's world. Our children will be safe and good but never will become 'great', if they pursue a career which is another man's passion. They will be leading a life without excitement and will be dying by having their greatness inside.
Let not our life choke us with mediocrity. Let not our tombs to claim our gifts and dreams and of our next generation!