DIVINE DESIGN

By Mary Ann Wray 

 

Everything God created was made with a specific purpose in Mind. Whether it was the planets and stars, the water and land, flora and fauna, animals of land, sea and air and mankind itself, He did so with a unique design and function for each of these things. For example, bodies of water were created for fishes and transportation, land for vegetation and habitation. The sky to house celestial bodies and the same to give day and night. A canary was created with the design to sing, an eagle to soar the heights, beasts of burden to assist man in work, and on and on it goes.

However, with man, He created the same with a different kind of blueprint and function than all the rest of creation. Since man was created in God’s image, not that of an Angel to only minister, or an animal to be trained, He gave us the capacity to think, create and take on His very own image through the New Birth. Let’s not forget that God wanted man as companionship because He said “It is not good for man to be alone.” This, I believe, reflected what was in the Father’s Own Heart. In a very real sense, He was ‘alone’ in creation because there was no one or nothing else like Him before Adam. Thus, He created man for Himself and woman to be a companion to man.

Likewise, each one of us was designed with a specific fingerprint and purpose by the Father Himself for His good pleasure and our enjoyment. We were not created to become little ‘gods’ but reflect a measure of His endless attributes in order to express an aspect of His beauty and Divine Design in His creation, while co-laboring with Him to propagate His purposes in the earth.

To understand this fact gives us the ability to discover not only who we are in Christ but why He created us individually in the first place i.e., what is my unique purpose in the earth? For some of us, He created us with the ability to write and create music, others various forms of artistry, some the ability to analyze things mechanically, others the ability to research and practice medicine and spiritual giftings in others with the purpose to communicate the gospel in order to equip the Body of Christ for greater works.

As with anything else, these purposes must be developed through learning, experimentation, trial and error at times, and the assistance of others more knowledgeable in those areas than ourselves. Likewise, these abilities (spiritual and natural) can be stewarded correctly or incorrectly. It’s up to us to seek the Father out for answers as to why He created us and get the revelation as to how to develop those talents with the help of others He has placed in our lives and/ or leads us to. Many times we discover His design for us unexpectedly and supernaturally. Some things are ‘inborn’ and prodigies arise, other things are manifested after the New Birth and the subsequent Baptism of the Spirit where spiritual gifts and abilities are born and released in us. They can be used for selfish purposes or to be a blessing to others expressing the Father’s Heart of being a giver not a user of other’s means for selfish gains.

Because the Father loves diversity in creation (let’s be clear that I’m not talking about sexual orientation here) He also designed us with different purposes in mind that are revealed in and through various seasons of our lives. We can find joy in each season or struggle with identity and purpose by a lack of knowledge and spiritual mentors in our life. This is a sad thing that happens with too many people who come from spiritually ‘fatherless’ homes including myself. Fortunately, the Father always has Plan “A”, i.e., HIMSELF, and secondly the Body of Christ where he has emplaced spiritual fathers and mothers to help develop and raise up spiritual sons and daughters to become mature spiritual adults thus perpetrating the spiritual cycle of life and Christ’s Legacy in each generation. This is happening all throughout the Body of Christ. He is raising up Father/ Mother leaders, some of which have struggled with their own identity and learned by trial, error, dark nights of the soul as well as seeking His face with subsequent discovery on how to ‘tap into’ the endless wells of Life available to us through the power of Holy Spirit and the Heart of the Father.

All Adam was and acquired came directly from the One who not only created him but fellowshipped and walked with him in the cool of the garden DAILY (Genesis 3: 8). There came the sad day when man hid from Father because of disobedience triggered by the subtle deception and lies of the serpent. It’s the same bag of tricks he uses today. But it was God’s Heart all along, to create man and woman in order to have a FAMILY for Himself and each other. The Father made man in HIS image to pro-create the legacy of family while supervising God’s creativity in the earth. It all began with knowing FATHER as creator and Lord. Jesus came to show us the Father in due season after the fall of man in order to be reconciled to Himself! (John 14: 8-9) Through the New Birth, this wonderful process and journey of discovery begins!

In this season of my life, I realize much time of unrealized purpose has passed through a lack of knowledge and some of the things I mentioned above. Yet in the Father’s redemptive plan He is and will use what I have walked through and missed out on in order to help the next generation. It’s the same for you. The next generation can and will avoid many of the pitfalls that have occurred due to a lack of spiritual fathers and coaches in life and ministry. If you feel as if your life has passed by without you making a significant impact look to the Father to give you others including young people to mentor and care for. It is never too late to discover and walk in your Divine Design. Here are a few examples of people of advanced age in History that didn’t “come into their own” until much later in life:

Gary Heavin (love the name!) was 40 when he opened the first Curves fitness center in 1992, which ended up becoming one of the fastest-growing franchises of the '90s. Stan Lee created his first hit comic title, "The Fantastic Four," just shy of his 39th birthday. In the next few years, he created the legendary Marvel Universe, whose characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men became American cultural icons. Vera Wang was a figure skater and journalist before entering the fashion industry at age 40. Today she's one of the world's premier women's designers. Henry Ford was 45 when he created the revolutionary Model T car.

Jack Weil was 45 when he founded what became the most popular cowboy-wear brand, Rockmount Ranch Wear. He remained its CEO until he died at the ripe old age of 107 in 2008.   Rodney Dangerfield is remembered as a legendary comedian, who ‘got no respect’ until he finally caught a break with a hit appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" at age 46. Julia Child worked in advertising and media before writing her first cookbook when she was 50, launching her career as a celebrity chef. Laura Ingalls Wilder spent her later years writing semi-autobiographical stories using her educated daughter Rose as an editor. She published the first in the "Little House" books at age 65 in 1932. They soon became children's literary classics, and the basis for TV show "Little House on the Prairie." Harland Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, was 62 when he franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952, which he would sell for $2 million 12 years later. Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, began her prolific painting career at 78. In 2006, one of her paintings sold for $1.2 million. Let’s not forget about Father Abraham and Mother Sarah who were nearly 100 when their unique design and ultimate purpose was manifested!  

Whether you are a Grandma Moses or a Father Abraham in chronological age or development, God hasn’t forgotten you nor does He want you to feel that your purpose on the earth is over and nonexistent. You and I may never have a global impact, nonetheless, we were created with a Divine Design enabling us to impact those in our sphere of influence which will make a huge difference in a life of one or more young people. As we reflect the nature of the Father and the unique abilities He’s put in each one of us, others will be inspired, coached and encouraged to pursue the Father’s dreams for them. Seek Him for His purpose in this season you’re in NOW. Don’t weep over what you didn’t accomplish or didn’t do, but look to Him with hope and expectation that He WILL redeem the time and accelerate whatever growth needs to take place in order to get you “in position” for the next season of birth, release and creativity He’s designed in you7!

Here’s a wonderful promise that I’m claiming for my own life; How about you?
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2: 25-27