Only One You

Paul wrote, "But now God has put every one of the parts in the body as it was pleasing to him." (1 Corinthians 12:18)

No one else has your life. No one else has your pain, your hardships, your joys, or your sorrows. Everything in life shapes us and we are shaped by everything for a reason, so that we can touch others in a unique way based upon who we are and what we've been through. God is amazing. He doesn't waste anything in our lives.

Every piece of our lives and experiences can be used by Christ to touch someone else. We were made for each other; we live for each other; we even die for each other by 'dying well,' as it was once referred to in a memorial service I attended. We die with hope so that others who live might see the reality of Christ in even the darkest of hours. See? God uses everything.

Are you just getting by, or are you living for a reason? Think about your unique gifts and ask yourself how those gifts are benefiting others. What specific way is God using you to touch others in the Body of Christ? Do you seem to have an extra measure of wisdom, or mercy, or discernment, or knowledge, or administration, or desire to serve? These will help determine how you can look for opportunities to help others.

And then, think about the things you have gone through so far in your life, especially the difficult or challenging things where God has met you with his faith. That information is not just for you, it's for you to empathize with and encourage others who have encountered similar struggles.

God isn't messing around here. There are no accidents with our lives. Whatever we have received and experienced has shaped who we are, and because of that, we are qualified. There is truly no one else like you, for a reason.

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"Only One You" by John Fischer