As a pastor, you have unique opportunities to minister to hurting people every week, if not every day. 

When people are hurting, they need simple truth, not simplistic truth. It’s not enough to tell someone to pray, read the Bible, or go to church. You have to help them know how to make lasting changes in their lives.

For example, the people you’re leading cannot become all that God created them to be until they embrace their identity—the unmistakably unique people whom God intentionally made for a purpose.

We are wonderfully complex, as Psalm 139:14 tells us. 

To fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, we have to look at every dimension of our lives and understand the five factors that influence our identity. Then, we have to make the most of what we’ve been given by God. We all have a different set of parents, pains, problems, and potential, and one day we’ll be held accountable for what we did with them.

This includes our DNA, genes, hormones, and our chemical makeup. Some of us were born with a low tolerance for pain; others have an extremely high tolerance for pain. Some of us have low energy levels; other people are very energetic. And then some of us have different brain chemistry, such as low levels of serotonin that can cause depression.

We’re all imperfect, and no flaw is sinful or shameful—it’s the way God wired us! Our flaws are part of our custom design, and God planned them for his purpose and glory.

The people you’re serving will never be able to make lasting changes or fulfill God’s purpose for their lives until they understand that they are wonderfully complex and uniquely designed for God’s glory.

Remind your members of this powerful truth this week and stay tuned as we discuss the other four factors that influence our identity in the following weeks.