Only You Are Only You

Lately, I've been thinking about why we exist on this terrestrial ball in the first place. I know it's a great question that has haunted philosophers and thinkers and kings and paupers alike for hundreds of years, if not centuries.

Now, I'm not approaching this question from an existentialistic angle, e.g., how do I know I exist? (For me, it's rather plain that I exist.) Rather, I'm approaching this question from the perspective of why did God create me and why did He create me the way I am?

Most of us easily accept that there was a period of time where we didn't exist. Simply put, we hadn't been born yet. The Bible beautifully proclaims that God knits us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-14). Interestingly, however, the Bible also says that God planned and KNEW who we were before we were even born! Before we were even conceived! In calling Jeremiah to service, God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." (Jeremiah 1:5)

Psalm 139:15-16 also shares this truth telling its readers, "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All of the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Hidden in these verses is the powerful truth that God created you and knew you before you were even born. God created only you the way you are. He placed you in a specific family situation in a specific location in a specific time. No one else had the life that you've lived and no one else will have the life that you will live. Some people may look similar to you, others may talk like you. Some may think like you or share similar experiences, but only you can be only you. You are the only person that's living the life that you're living. You are truly, completely, utterly unique. Not a single person that has ever lived, is living or will live can claim your life nor the cumulative experiences you've had and will have. Reggie McNeal, in his book A Work of Heart, realized this amazing truth, writing "All [people] are living lives never before attempted."

In realizing this staggering truth, it made me realize that I exist precisely because God loved me enough to make me. He knew all of my days before I took a single breath so He created me and sent me down to be shaped by people and experiences and to help shape other people. He knew I would be the perfect person to live my life.

Do you realize how important, unique, special, wanted, incomparable, and essential you are? Because He loved you and knew who you were before Time began, God - the Almighty, the maker of Heaven and Earth, the Creator - made only one of you in the entire history of the world. Talk about a highly valued, highly prized collector's item!

Intentional Christianity

Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking more and more about living life intentionally. I will admit that the prospect of having a child to take care of in the next few months has been a major catalyst in me pursuing this line of thinking. I have been thinking about how to be a proactive parent rather than a reactive one. For example, if there are experiences that we want to give our children, we will actively pursue that opportunity rather than just wait and hope it will happen.

This line of thinking led me to my Christian walk and I realized that I have been a reactive Christian rather than a proactive one. I often cry out to God when something happens, instead of actively working on my relationship with Him in all times, good or bad. I often have my Bible time interrupted by other things, instead of having it be a distraction-free zone. I am a Christian outside of church when it is the most convenient for me, not when it is the most necessary. I volunteer when it fits my schedule, not allowing my schedule to change when I can volunteer.

In realizing all of this and more, it strikes me that in order to be a great Christian, we need to be an intentional one. We need to pursue God rather than having Him to do all the work pursuing us. We need to read the Bible seriously and faithfully. At church and outside, we need to be the first one in line before anyone even asks for anything. We need to be a Christian even when it is not convenient.

So, let's all of us throw off the shackles of passivity and start living our Christian lives with zeal and purpose! Read the Bible today and say no to any interruptions. Call any church coordinator and volunteer yourself. (In working for a church, I now understand that there's ALWAYS a need for help, no matter what.) Stand up for what you know is right. Pursue God with passion.

How can you be an intentional Christian today?