Knowing Your Identity in Christ: I am Created for a Purpose (Ephesians 2:10)

Did you know that you are God’s masterpiece?

On this episode of 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents, host Christen Clark encourages Christian parents to embrace God’s intentional design for their lives—and their children’s. Christen dives into practical ways to nurture spiritual growth at home, avoid comparison, and foster discipleship that equips kids to walk confidently in their God-given calling. 

• [00:01:08] Ephesians 2:10 and the biblical foundation for purpose in family life
• [00:04:27] Teaching kids that true purpose isn’t about applause, but obedience and serving others

Resources:

• Instagram: @7minutedevotions, @christenclark
• Family Podcast: @collidekidspodcast

Transcript

Christen Clark [00:00:02]:

Hello and welcome to 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents. I'm Christen Clark, and I am so glad you're here. If you're anything like me, your days are very full because parenting, ministry, work, school schedules, laundry piles, dinner plans, and just trying to answer that one email you flagged 3 times. I mean, I don't know about you guys, but life is moving pretty fast and there's lots of things distracting us. And taking us away from all the things we feel like we're supposed to be doing. And even as I'm recording right now, I just realized I need to go email the school and the doctor's office. So I am a busy parent too, and that's exactly why this podcast exists, because sometimes we can't fit in a 45-minute Bible study. Those are great, I love those, but today we're just going to take 7 intentional minutes to reset our hearts and remember what's true.

Christen Clark [00:00:50]:

So let's dive in. If If you followed me or my ministry or my podcast for any length of time, whether it's through the Collide Kids podcast or these devotions, you know that today's theme runs underneath everything I do. Today's identity statement is this: I am created for a purpose. You were created for a purpose. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul says, for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. I love that word workmanship. Other translations might call it handiwork or a masterpiece. It means that you and I were intentionally designed.

Christen Clark [00:01:35]:

We were thoughtfully formed, not random, not accidental. And Paul tells us something incredible: God prepared good works in advance for us to do. Before you were even born, Before you chose a career, before anyone knew your name, God had already planned the good works that you would walk in. And I think sometimes we hear the word "purpose" and immediately imagine a stage or a platform or spotlights, something impressive, something big and visible. But according to this verse, our purpose isn't fame. It's faithfulness. It's the kind word that you speak. It's a meal that you bring to someone or a child you disciple.

Christen Clark [00:02:13]:

It's the neighbor that you are reaching out to serve. It's the encouragement that you send. You send to others, the person you quietly tell about Jesus. All of this counts. When I interview people on the Collide Kids podcast, I love asking how they got started in what they do, whether it's someone like Scott Hamilton, who's the Olympic ice skater, or David and Kylie Knight, the amazing illusionist duo, or Butch Hartman, the animator and cartoon producer. There's often this similar thread in everyone's story. They have a unique ability or a passion that stood out when they were younger, or something that felt different in them that other people didn't have. And over time, they realized that it was actually something God had woven into them for a reason.

Christen Clark [00:02:55]:

But here's the important part: not everyone's purpose looks like a public platform. Some purposes are loud, but some are also quiet. Some are seen and out front, and some are hidden and behind the scenes. It makes me think of my kitchen drawer. It is full of tools. I have vegetable peelers and a citrus juicer and a whisk and a giant pancake spatula. They're all shaped differently, designed differently. They're all used differently.

Christen Clark [00:03:22]:

None of them look alike. They're all shaped differently, which is why some of them get stuck in the drawer sometimes. But every single tool has a purpose, and none of them works well trying to be something else. I'm not going to use the vegetable peeler to flip a pancake, and I'm not going to use the whisk to open a can, right? This is what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 12, that we are all different parts of one body—hands, feet, eyes, even parts of the body that no one notices, like eyelashes and toenails. Nothing is insignificant in the kingdom of God. Nothing is overlooked. The danger for us, especially in a world shaped by social media, is comparison. We see someone else's visible calling and assume that ours is small and insignificant.

Christen Clark [00:04:07]:

But the good works prepared for you in advance by God are not the same as the good works prepared for me. And that's not a mistake. That's God's intentional design. Our kids are growing up in a world that constantly tells them to build a platform, to stand out, to be impressive, to be an influencer, to gain attention. But what if we taught them something deeper? What if we helped them see that purpose isn't about applause? It's about obedience. One of the greatest gifts that we can give our children is helping them notice how God wired them What is something that comes naturally to them? What is something they love? How do they uniquely serve others? Instead of comparing them to siblings or friends or other people we see, we can call out what we see in them. Like, I notice how compassionate you are, or you have such a creative mind, or you pay attention to details that most people miss. And we can model this too.

Christen Clark [00:05:04]:

When our kids see us content in our calling, not constantly wishing we were someone else, it shapes how they see themselves. Comparison shrinks purpose. Gratitude is what fuels it. So this week, ask yourself, what good works might God have prepared for me today? Not someday, not in the future, but today. Well, before we pray, let's go over our identity rhythm. This is something we do in every episode of this season. So I'll read 3 short statements: who we are in Christ, why it's true, and how we live through it. So I'll say this once through, and then we'll repeat the identity statement at the end together so that you can carry it with you this week.

Christen Clark [00:05:54]:

Here's the identity statement for today: I am created for a purpose. I am created for a purpose as God's workmanship, and he prepared good works in advance for me to walk in. Because I am created for a purpose, I stop comparing myself to others and faithfully step into the good works in front of me today. Let's say this identity statement together one more time. I am created for a purpose. Let's pray. God, thank you for this encouragement and this truth that we are intentionally designed. Thank you for this knowledge that we know that you created us to do good works, that you put breath in our lungs and abilities, and you created us and designed us in the circumstances we're in, in the location we're in, in the family we're in, so that we can fulfill these good works that you have for us.

Christen Clark [00:06:45]:

God, help us to walk in that this week. Help us to see those things in front of us and to step into them in obedience. Help us not to shy away or to give it over to someone else to do that. Help us to see that you have put us in that position to do good things, to further your kingdom, and to glorify you. And help us to guide our children so that they can see this as well and see the good works that you have put in front of them, because they are also created for a purpose. In Jesus' name, amen. Friend, I hope that you were reminded today that you were not created for someone else's calling. You were created for the good works God prepared specifically for you.

Christen Clark [00:07:23]:

If this podcast encourages you today and strengthens your faith as a parent, would you consider supporting supporting this ministry. I've included a link actually in the show notes with simple ways that you can give and help us continually create gospel-centered resources for families. Thank you so much for being here and for showing up. And until next time, remember who you are and who you belong to.