You're Unique, Just like Everybody Else

I was reflecting today on some of my anxiety/nervousness about going to Korea.
One of the things which I seem to fear is that I might go to Korea and find that I'm not a very competent teacher...that it's not something I should invest my life into.
While I pondered over that possibility, and felt my anxiety increase, I suddenly heard the question "so what?... what if that does happen?"

My immediate response... "that couldn't happen!! What would that mean?!?! If I couldn't even teach a foreign class of students about English..."

It dawned on me that my anxiety stems from putting too much identity/purpose in the idea of teaching in Korea...rather than in Christ.

Purpose...popularized in contemporary christian communities by Rick Warren, famous for his "purpose driven life" books.
The drive for "purpose" is clear in Christian communities...as well as non-Christian communities. We, as people, want to believe that there is a reason for our existence...that our creation has a certain aim...this is an understandable and, I would argue, healthy inquiry.

We are created for a purpose, it's true. As Christians, we know this aim, as stated in the shorter catechism. What is the chief end of man?
- To glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Created to be children of God
Created to inherit all things in Christ
Created to worship
Created to spend eternity with Christ
Created to steward the earth
Created for community...

and so on.

These all lead back to the over-arching purpose- glorifying God.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him...Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3:17, 23-24

God has created us for a glorious purpose- to participate in the story written by, and starring Himself.

But sometimes that doesn't seem to be enough...
As I contemplated my nerves about teaching... I realized that my fear of not being a good teacher is rooted is a sort of "twisting" of the search for purpose... a twisting evolved into a type of "identity dependence" (I will not be content if this "fill in blank" is not part of my life/who I am!)

From a young age we are taught that "we are all uniquely special" ...and that there are things we can do that no one else can!
Consider the song from Barney (yes I still remember this by heart) - "You are special you're the only one, you're the only one like you. There isn't another in the WHOLE wide world who can do the things you do!..."

Ingrained in me from childhood is the idea that I can be someone important, do anything I set my mind to...

There is a longing to be "set apart"...
but we are set apart...in Christ!

That isn't enough!
We want to be set apart in a specific individual way...where we can do something that few people (or no one else) can do!
But who's kingdom is that serving? God's? ...or mine?

I do not deny God's hand in allotting specific "talents" and gifts to people...Scripture makes clear that he does. However, these specific gifts are purposed to serve and edify ...not to puff up the individual by providing them with a "purpose" which wins the praise and affections of men (or self).

As children of God, God has bestowed on us a greater purpose that we could ever fathom... the purpose of being his children, glorifying Him.
This comes with an honor that is far beyond anything we can fathom...and it changes everything we do.

No longer do we need to struggle to find something which brings us recognition and serves our purpose...because we are participating in a story far greater than one we could ever concoct in our wildest imagination,.

Psalm 8
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

⁵ You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings ^c]">[c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶ You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

⁷ all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

⁸ the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹ O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This all being said: I head off to Korea soon... with hopes that God will teach me...and I will teach. That I will have the chance to be challenged and to challenge. And wherever I am, however it goes, that I will learn to be content in all things and in all circumstances- through Christ.