At a banquet, some cutlery is placed and there are spoons, forks, and knives on the table. There was a curious child who asked his mother, “Mom, which one is a spoon, mom?” His mother replied, “This one, my son. This round one called a spoon.” Then he asked again, ”Which one is a fork, mom?” His mother then replied, “Here, the one with the sharp bottom is a fork.”
This simple conversation at the dinner table interests me to know more deeply how do we know it is a spoon? Or a fork? Yes, we can distinguish them from their visible physical characteristics. The spoon is designed round at the bottom because it is used to hold food while the fork is designed sharp at the bottom which used to tear food.
Like the spoons and forks in the illustration above, God also equips our children with various uniqueness that can be seen, such as personality, interests, abilities, and so on. God will use this uniqueness to carry out his mission in the world.
“Because we are the work of God, created in Jesus Christ to do good works, which God prepared beforehand.
He wants us to live in it.”
Ephesians 2:10
In the above verse, it is clearly stated that nothing happens by chance, because God created them for a clear reason from the beginning. As parents, how can you help our children find the purpose of their creation? This is indeed not an easy matter, because it requires patience and a long process.
Rick Warren in his book “The Purpose Driven Life” mentions things that can be a concern for parents to help children find their purpose in life:
- Spiritual Gift
Spiritual gifts are an important part of shaping our children. Spiritual gifts are given by God in each of our children to be prepared to do God’s mission work. This gift will grow in our children after they believe in God. God uses various kinds of spiritual gifts to continue His mission in the world, such as the gift of teaching, the gift of speaking wisdom, the gift of healing, and so on. - Heart
Heart or in other words interest is the driving force to do everything. As a parent, you can identify your child’s interests in what he likes, what he speaks enthusiastically about, and what makes him happy when he does certain things. God uses the interest to clarify what your children are calling. - Abilities
Abilities are natural talents that have been given by God since they were in the womb. Each child has different talents, this is what distinguishes one child from another. Just as a spoon has different advantages from a fork. Encourage them to discover what their talent is and to work on it. - Personality
Personality according to Allport’s definition is “the dynamic organization of the psychophysical system (body and soul) in the individual which also determines a unique (distinctive) way of adapting to his environment.”
Personality is one of the parts that make up everyone. Personality is the yardstick that influences how and where a person can use spiritual gifts and abilities.
For example, an IT person is required to be a person who is detailed and pays attention to small things, in contrast to a marketing person who is more required to be sociable and good at the persuasion of others. - Experience
Last but not least are the experiences God places in the lives of each of our children. This experience is used by God in an extraordinary way to shape a person, especially an unpleasant experience. That experience God allows to happen for a purpose. Experience is used by God to sharpen one’s character and vocation.
Finally, hopefully, the things above can help parents to continue to encourage children to find the important purpose of their creation. May our children continue to grow in the way God has prepared for them from the beginning.
Bunga, S.Psi
IPEKA Counseling Center
