But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? (NIV)

Have you ever wondered why you existed? Or maybe what you existed for? If you’re a Christian, maybe you’ve prayed and asked God. “Why did you make me like this?” like Paul did in our verse for today. I think all of us, at some point in our lives, have felt worthless, or like our existence on Earth is just pointless.

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When we feel like this, and when we find ourselves asking God why we are the way we are, we first have to face a hard truth: we’re just humans. We have no place asking God, “Why did you make me like this?”

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It would be strange if I made, say, a vase, and the vase said it wanted to be a bowl. That vase can’t be a bowl because those two different things have two different purposes. That’s one of the reasons molding clay and making pottery is so awesome—everything has a unique purpose; everything is used for something. Just like people – each person is wonderful, and God has intended for them a different purpose.

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Even if two people have similar purposes, they will meet different people and affect those people in unique ways. What if I had two pots? They’re both pots, but one I use to boil water and the other I use for making spaghetti. Sometimes two people may have similar purposes, but their effect is different. Two people writing devotionals, even on the same verse, might write about two very different things the verse has to say, and people will take different ideas from each piece of writing.

I think it’s important not to look at this verse and get hung up on whether or not you were made for special purpose or common use. When I first read the verse, I immediately tried to decipher which category I fell into. But by doing that, I was missing the whole point. I should have been focusing on the fact that I have zero control over God’s plan for my life—I might disobey or ignore His instruction, but that doesn’t cause His plan to change—and that the real purpose of this verse is to teach us that God does have a plan and it is in our best interest to follow it.

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Going with the pottery analogy, we could say that I made a plate, but the plate wanted to be a mug. So, I got some water and put it on the plate. Obviously, a plate can’t hold water like a mug can and it would soon overflow. Sometimes when we stray from God’s plan to go after something we want, God might give us the thing we ask for, knowing it will be too much for us, to show us that His plan is a better option. When we realize that we made the wrong decision, we might be ashamed of our sin and afraid to talk to God for fear that He’ll be disappointed in us. But He always deals with our sin gracefully, and when we confess it to Him, He never holds it over our heads or reminds us of it. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

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Each person has a purpose. God created you for a specific reason, He loves you, and has a plan for your life because He knows what He can do through you. When you’re asking God why He made you, don’t just ask, but listen for the answer, because He has a very special plan for you.  

Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. Thank you for everything that you have given me today. Please help me to remember that you created me for a purpose, and that I am loved. Please help me to remember that you have a plan for my life, even though it might feel chaotic. Thank you for staying with me and creating me with a special plan in mind. In Your name, Amen.