God Has a Unique Purpose For Each of Us

By Mirely Maldonado

“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 (NKJV)

“What am I here for?” I’m very certain that is a question most if not all of us have asked ourselves at some point. And maybe you’re still wondering that right now.

What we do with our lives is so important that it can weigh very heavily in our minds and in our spirits. We want to make sure we make the right decisions, we really don’t want to fail, and we want to make an impact. Sometimes, we feel like we need an answer to that question—and we want/need it NOW.

But who gives us that answer? Who really leads us to choose what our personal vision and mission for our lives will be? I know what the “Christian answer” is, but when we think deeply and truthfully about what this looks like in our lives, we know there are other influences outside of God that can strongly have an effect over what we choose to do with our lives. Some of them are obvious—family, friends, mentors—but others are not so obvious—successful people we see in the media, neighbors that seem to have it all, influencers or people we follow on social media, even prominent issues in the headlines can make us want to become part of a movement. And some of these can seem wise or have good intentions, but we can sometimes learn the hard way that just because it sounds “good” doesn’t mean it’s God’s will for our lives.

Today’s Scripture reminds us we are His creation. And if we remember back in Genesis 1 whenever He created something, He called it “good.” But then sin entered, and His creation was not so “good.” However, we are not rendered useless! Because, as we can see in today’s verse, we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” The original word for good in this verse is the Greek agathos, which means “pleasant, useful, excellent, upright, honorable, etc.” And it’s in union with our Messiah, the one who saves us from our sin, that we can find our true uniquely-tailored purpose or “good works” that “God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

God doesn’t always disclose what His big-picture plans are for us like when He told Jeremiah he would be a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5) or anointed David (1 Samuel 16:13) thirteen years before he actually became king (2 Samuel 5:4).

Sometimes, it’s a one-day-at-a-time journey to discover and understand what He has prepared for you. His path and purpose are unique, just like you.

Pause: Whose voice(s) are you seeking and listening to for guidance more than seeking God, your creator?

Practice: Read Romans 8 and ask God to help you understand what He is trying to tell you about purpose in this chapter.

Pray: Dear Lord, sometimes I question why I am where I am or do what I do. Help me seek You above anything or anyone else and trust You and the path that is laid out ahead for me as I choose to walk this life in Christ Jesus. Amen.