How can something or someone be the same and different at the same time? There is one more thing I would like to explore that will help us conclude this series of articles on understanding identity and purpose. I have realised that some people find it hard to see similarities and differences together. The reality is that many things can be the same and different simultaneously. For example, wood can be used as a material to make chairs, tables or shelves, so, although the material is the same, the form of each object is different. The form of an object differs according to its purpose. What I want us to start understanding in this series is that the execution of our purpose will be different to that of our neighbour. Have you ever asked yourself why you are different? Why did God bless you with the ability to speak or to write or to design? You see, just because you are from another country, that does not mean you are different from somebody else. Scientifically speaking, our DNA is 99.9 per cent the same as anybody else’s on this planet. That means only 0.01 per cent of us is physically different from our neighbour, and the differences are all external. Inside our bodies, we are all born with the same body systems, bone structure and blood colour. Therefore, it is only our outward appearance that makes us different.

What you may not realise is that, as well as discovering your own purpose, you have a part to play in helping others discover theirs. You will see parents doing this with children. Children may not understand their gifts and talents, but, with guidance from parents and teachers, they are advised on what career might suit them best or what they should study in the future. I wrote in my previous article about how, when we don’t like someone, it’s only because we don’t understand their differences. Have you ever heard the expression ‘culture clash’? We often use this to describe a situation in which two cultures come together and have difficulty understanding each other’s behaviours, traditions or cultures. Sometimes this can happen between individual people, too. When you genuinely get to know someone, you start to understand them better, but, not only that, you also start to understand why they are different. As a result, you will begin to see their purpose (and you may even help them discover their purpose). Then, when you see their purpose, you will begin to understand their unique design. We have a role to play in understanding not only our own purpose, but also the purpose of others.

Recognising that we are biologically the same but differently designed is fundamental to achieving equality in society today. We are not only the same but different; we are the same and equal. This also explains why you must run your own race in life. If you had the same purpose as your work colleague, then you would have been formed in exactly the same way. It doesn’t matter how hard you try to be someone else, if you physically look and behave differently to them, then your purpose is also different to theirs. Therefore, you must be accountable for discovering your own person. This is the reason you shouldn’t compare your life to someone else’s. If you planted two sunflower seeds from the same batch and in the same soil but only one of them grew, you would probably query what went wrong, as they were both exactly the same seeds and were meant to produce the same result. However, you are not exactly the same as another human being, so you cannot measure growth and progression in the same way – we are all meant to produce different results. This is why it doesn’t matter how much you want to be like someone else, you never can be, because, for as long as you are physically different to someone else, your purpose will be, too. I should also add that physically seeing each other’s differences is a positive and constructive way to help us understand one another. Perhaps your physical appearance can tell me about where you are from, your traditions or religious beliefs. I wrote in my article ‘The importance of seeing colour’ how this can help us break down some of the unintentional racism and ignorance we encounter today.

I want to take this a step further and show you how it applies spiritually. As well as God making us biologically the same and physically different, He also made us spiritually the same. The spirit that lives in us as Christians is God’s spirit. That’s why we call it the Holy Spirit, and the Bible refers to our bodies as ‘Holy Temples’ (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Our bodies are the homes (temples) that inhabit God’s spirit. Therefore, when you meet a fellow Christian, you must be able to relate to them about many things, despite maybe originating from different countries. You both carry the same spirit; you both have the same spiritual Father; and you both come from the same country – the Kingdom of God. We often forget that, before God physically formed Adam and Eve, He first created their spirits. In Genesis 1:27 (MSG version), the Bible tells us: ‘God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female.’ The Bible tells us how God originally made humans to be like Him, spirit-like. Then He formed each one physically (Genesis 2:7 and 21–22) and put His spirit inside the physical bodies He had formed, which is when those bodies came to life. Adam and Eve had the same spirit, but why did God form them differently? As a Christian, we arguably all have the same purpose, which is to preach the Gospel; however, God created us differently according to the execution of our purpose. In Romans 12:6–8, there is a beautiful part of scripture I would like to share with you in order to answer this question:

‘In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And, if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.’

This means that God has purposefully given us different abilities according to how we will execute our purposes. I believe that the Gospel can be shared in many different ways: you may teach from a pulpit, but you could also show examples of the Gospel through the kindness, encouragement or leadership you show to others.

In my opinion, it is crucial that we respect each other as equals but also understand each other’s differences. Having now written six articles in this series on the topic of identity and purpose, I have realised how much we need one another to live a successful life. In addition, God created us differently to help one another and to be each other’s destiny helpers. Women shouldn’t be competing with men; in fact, God created us differently for the very reason of helping and complementing each other. If you decide to be an island unto thyself (as a favourite preacher of mine once put it), you will struggle in life. My parents always said from a young age that I would make a good teacher, and that is exactly what I have become and will continue to be for as long as l live, as I know that’s my purpose – the position in which I am most effective. Parents have a vital role in helping their children discover purpose. Equally, so do we all have a role to play in helping each other find purpose. You may be someone’s encourager, motivator, mentor or teacher. I can only say this for my own relationship with my partner, but the very things I lack are the very things he has, and the weaknesses he has are overcome by my strengths.

I will finish by saying that discovering and walking in your purpose is one of the most important investments of time you will ever make in your life. Understanding who you are and what your purpose is will have an impact on those around you and on how successful you are in life; it will take you from just existing in life to living a life! Writing these articles has taught me so much and I pray that, by walking in my own purpose, I have helped you discover yours, too.

God bless.

Author: Laura McBride Galarza

Editor: Melissa Bond