No Extra Parts (eBook)

CHAPTER 1

THERE ARE NO EXTRAS

You have a part and purpose in the plans of God.

You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.

1 Corinthians. 12:27-31 The Message

YOUR PART & YOUR PURPOSE

Let me go ahead and show you my cards right here in the first paragraph of the first chapter. There’s nothing more frustrating than reading half of a book while still waiting on the author to make their “big point.” So, let’s skip all the mystery and get straight to it. Here it is:

EVERY PERSON HAS A PART TO PLAY IN THE PLANS OF GOD; AND EVERY PART HAS A SIGNIFICANT PURPOSE.

Allow me to make it more personal. God has amazing plans for what He desires to do in the earth, and He has written a specific part just for you. This God-written part is meaningful, intentional, and carefully thought out. Here’s more good news: not only did God create a part just for you, but that part is full of incredible purpose. It was crafted with a specific motive and reason. In fact, the entire time God was creating this part and its purpose, He was thinking of you.

Ready to go even deeper? What if your life—where you are, your personality, your talents, your gifts, your abilities, your aptitudes—what if none of them are by chance? What if none of them are an accident or coincidence? Instead, what if each of them is providentially created and given to you because they’re all involved in the plans that God has for you? What if your life and identity is less coincidence and luck, and more divine intentionality from the Creator God?

Throughout this book we’ll examine several scriptures together, but we might as well begin with the first book in the Bible. In fact, let’s even start in the very first chapter.

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27 NIV)

Take note of the words that I’ve intentionally italicized in the Genesis verse above. Three times in this one verse God uses the word created. He wants to make it perfectly clear that you were created by Him, for Him, and even in His very image. When it comes to you, no luck was involved. No chance was involved. Regardless of the story your parents may tell, no “accident” happened.

You were designed. Intended. Considered. Created. God does not make mistakes. He does not error or stumble. God was not the least bit surprised when you were born. Not only was He there, but He also formed and fashioned you Himself! He saw you in His mind’s eye before your parents ever got together. It truthfully doesn’t matter if your mother or father ever “planned” for you; you’re on the earth today because God decided He needed you. He needed you on the earth at this moment in time to walk in the plan and purpose that He set aside just for you.

God doesn’t make junk. Genesis tells us not only were we created by Him, but He literally made us in His image! The image of God is beautiful, lovely, magnificent, brilliant… and that’s exactly the mould that you were created in.

In fact, that word junk reminds me of something. Do you have a “junk drawer” at your house? Most people have one near the kitchen. You typically don’t have a ton of use for the items in the drawer, but you couldn’t bring yourself to throw them out. Listen closely: when it comes to humanity and the tailormade purpose in each one of us, God doesn’t have a junk drawer.

God doesn’t create individuals that He’s unsure of how to use, and then file them away in some sort of human junk drawer. In fact, Ephesians 2:10 would massively disagree with this notion. Look what the verse says about all of us:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10 NIV).

There’s that word again: created. It’s almost like throughout the whole Bible, God constantly feels the need to remind us that we are not junk, waste, or some sort of mishap. No sir; we are His handiwork. Another word that could be used there is accomplishment or achievement. The next time you’re struggling with self-image, depression, or believing lies that the enemy or other people are feeding you, remind yourself of this: I am the accomplishment of God.

You were created with intentionality. There’s a good chance that knowing and believing that would completely change how you approach each day that He gives you. Imagine the confidence and assurance you could take into every day with the simple reminder that you are His accomplishment.

Truth be told, that’s my simple prayer for you as you journey through this book and the encouragement found within its pages. I pray you are reminded now, and every day following, of these three things:

You are God’s accomplishment.

You have a part to play in His plans.

Your part has an extraordinary purpose.

NO EXTRA PARTS

I have a son named Jude. He’s our oldest child. He was born in the summer of 2014, and life has never been the same since. Every parent reading this will know exactly what I mean. Kids change the house like nothing else ever could! I remember my wife and I getting a small dog when we first got married and thinking to ourselves, “This will be a great way to prepare for having children!” Ha! As if a miniature American Eskimo dog could have even come close to preparing us for a child! We were young and naïve. If only kids were as easy as dogs—wouldn’t that be something! I learned quickly that dogs needed much less food, sleep, toys, and overall attention. Oh well; you live, and you learn, right?

Over the past several years of having a young, growing boy I have built and put together a ton of toys. It’s just one of the many responsibilities that dads are often charged with as their kids grow up. I get all the projects that require any assembly or construction. I don’t mind it, truthfully; there’s something about building things with my hands that makes me feel like I accomplished a lot when I go to sleep at night. Maybe I should’ve been a builder, or general contractor—or at least work in the showroom at IKEA. Okay, that may be taking it a little too far!

What I’ve noticed about building toys for my oldest son is that every new toy and project pretty much looks the same. A truck delivers a large brown package to the house. We open the package to find the actual box that the toy is in, and then begin to pull out all the pieces, parts, screws, washers, buttons, and stickers that are included. After everything is opened, I begin reading the assembly directions (Yes, I am a man who reads the directions. That is no longer a hill I choose to die on in a fight with the wife. Slowly but surely, I am learning).

By the way, have you ever noticed the picture on the front of the toy box? It always shows a smiling, happy young family with their toddler enjoying the new toy on the perfectly polished hardwood floors in their beautiful living room. LIES! ALL LIES! In my experience, that never happens! What they should show is a picture of the dad over in the corner exhausted and irritated because it just took him five hours to build a wagon, and the kid would still rather play with the box! Now that’s reality! Oh well… I still love my boy.

After building many different toys for my son over the years, I have noticed one detail: there are never any extra parts in the box. Nope; not one. The toy company only gives you the exact number of parts. If you happen to break a part because you hammered too violently, bent something out of place, or stripped a screw, then you better hope and pray your local hardware store carries something similar, because there will not be an extra in the box.

But check this out: it also means that if you didn’t use a specific part, then something is most likely missing. Now the toy might still work okay, but it’ll never work, function, or look like it was intended to until you figure out where the extra part belongs.

Every part serves a purpose.

Every part belongs in a specific place.

There are no extra parts.

YOU HAVE A PART TO PLAY

When it comes to children’s toys, there are no extra parts. The same is true when it comes to people and the plans of God. Every single person has a part to play.

Every individual is designed by God with a purpose. I hope one of the first things you embrace wholeheartedly as we begin this journey together is that you were made with a purpose!

God does not make extras that have no purpose or reason for existence. You have been designed by a master craftsman, and packaged just right, to make a difference in the areas of life that you live. The job description of that purpose may look uniquely different from person to person, but the fact remains: you have a reason for being here. And by “here,” I mean alive. Yes, that’s right, hear me clearly: there’s a reason you are alive. In fact, there’s a reason you’re alive right now and...