Know this without a doubt: You were ordained for usefulness! You were born to make a difference.
Think about it. How many people have made a positive impact in your life? Maybe it was the teacher who consistently encouraged you to do better because she recognized that you were capable. Maybe it was the boss who didn’t accept mediocrity and pushed for more effective results. Or maybe it was the family friend who rode your coattails because they recognized the values that your parents were instilling in you. Yes — you had a circle of people who kept you grounded while growing.
You, too, have an ordained usefulness right now — in whatever season you are in your life at this very moment. Your Ordained Usefulness is YOU. It’s you at the core— the aggregation of all the elements that make you who you are on the inside. Your strengths and weaknesses; talents, and gifts; your passion and motivation — some of which may not have reached the surface. These are the tools that God uses to bless, build and strengthen others.
For years, I’ve compared myself to others — sometimes wanting to swap lives because of what failed to see. Of course, I would have been miserable because the person that I longed to be did not fit who I was. God created me to be sensitive, tender hearted, shy, and perceptive — among other things.
But it wasn’t until much later that I developed an appreciation for these qualities. When the tender heart allowed me to feel for others. When shyness caused me to quietly observe and assess. When being perceptive of people and situations led others to seek me out for insight.
When I was placed in positions of trust with my managers time and time again, I began to realize how valuable these characteristics were. I noticed that my managers often sought my counsel because of my ability to provide insight into problematic situations with people and projects. It was at this point that I understood how important it was to not disdain what God had placed in me; and that there was a usefulness that is indeed ordained by God.
Understanding Your Ordained Usefulness is really about discovering the real you— the person behind the facade. The person who — like everyone else — has strengths, weaknesses; talents and gifts. It’s about finding out who you are without losing yourself on the journey — and accepting that you are YOU for a reason.
You may be on a similar journey to finding your ordained usefulness. What can you do?
- Accept the fact that you are unique and distinctively different from anyone else in the world.
- Know who you are from God’d perspective. Not what others say you are.
- Accept yourself without compromise or restraint.
- Identify your talents and gifts; your strengths and your weaknesses.
- Look for opportunities to use them in meaningful ways in your personal and professional life.
- Do not disdain what God placed in you.
Women in Purpose 