“If only,” I hear you say, with a tinge of regret. “If only I could do this one thing. I’ll be just like her.”

Today, dear P31, I’m writing to you. No, not her. Just you.

It does seem like a natural inclination to want to aspire to be like the world’s most powerful woman. Or to dream of maybe one day becoming exactly like your icon. Let’s even bring it down a little — sometimes you just want to be like your friend, Mrs. A, because it seems like she has it all together. But catch this, while there is nothing wrong with admiring your favorite person, there is something wrong with wanting to be a replica of her.

Now, read the next line very carefully. You will indeed become a powerful woman of substance one day if you just take the time to hone the craft you were born for — those things that fuel your very existence, that make you stay up at night longing to have time to do them.  Yes, I talk about “craft” here because underneath it all we are all artists born in the image of our Creator. We were born to create something unique to only us.

You are Unique

Why did God inscribe your name on the palms of His hands? How does He know the actual numeric value of the hairs on your head? Why are you fearfully and wonderfully made? Surely, don’t you think it would have been easier to make replicas and carbon copies of someone else?

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well (Psalm 139:14).

You are Unique in what you Love to Do

You see, I read Proverbs 31 again and it occurred to me that this woman “loved” what she did. Verse 13 says she sought wool and flax and willingly worked with her hands. No, wool and flax were not given to her as gifts. She actually took the time out to “seek” them. This was her passion. She woke up every day wondering where she could get that perfect textile  fiber to make some fancy outfits for her children (both wool and flax are commonly used in the textile industry). She lived for it.

Guess what? To show you how much she loved it, we see the same passion mentioned more than once. In another verse, she stretches her hand to the distaff and spindle (v.19), and in another she makes her own clothing (v.22). In yet another instance, she makes these fabrics and sells them for profit (v.24). So she has a side of her that uses the same passion for her home and then another side that engages outside her home to use her talent to make some wealth.

How does this apply to you? Dear P31, you are gifted in something. “Making fabrics” is just an example. There’s something that you dream about achieving when you go to bed at night. What is that thing? That may be your own “fabric.” You can do wonders with it and bring glory to God.

Find It

I’ll make this short. Where should your hands go? Your hands should go where your greatest passion lies. I believe that all of us have great passions that can bring glory to God more than anything else can. To find out what these are, we really need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And after we’ve found the secret, then voilà, we need to get moving because knowledge means nothing until we start applying it to our lives. The funny thing is…no one can tell you what it is. You are the only one that can identify it through praying and seeking God’s face.

When Will I Find It?

Coincidentally, I was sitting in the pews this past Sunday when the pastor talked about dreams. Joseph had a dream, but at the time he shared this dream with his brothers, it was not yet time for the dream to come to pass. He was not mature enough (judging from how he boastfully spoke about the dream), and neither was his character developed enough for the dream to be made manifest. So when will you find your direction? I don’t know, but one thing I know is that if you continue to let yourself be loved by your Father and keep your ears as close to the ground as possible, you’ll get there. Just hold fast to your passions, develop your character, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit daily, and before you know it, you will be thanking God for seeing you through this Proverbs 31 journey.

I hope this inspires someone today to not let her passion die. 🙂

Have a lovely purpose-filled week,

From me to you…