Monday Memo 1239: Set Apart from Birth
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles…”— Galatians 1:15-16
Paul described his calling in a way that should immediately change how we think about purpose. He doesn’t say that God discovered him on the Damascus road or recruited him later in life. He wrote that God set him apart from his mother’s womb. Long before Paul knew Christ, before he understood grace, before he chose obedience, God had already assigned him a role.
That language isn’t unique to Paul. Centuries earlier, God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). In both cases, calling began well before awareness. Purpose isn’t something invented in adulthood. It’s something designed into a life.
This takes creative purpose out of the category of hobbies and places it in the category of identity. And it’s not restricted to church work as we have seen in the lives of David, Joseph, Esther, and Daniel.
Too often we treat gifts and purpose as optional additions to life—things we pursue when we have extra time, extra energy, or fewer responsibilities. We speak of “finding time” for what God has called us to do, as though purpose were an accessory rather than a foundation. Paul and Jeremiah offer a very different picture. They present calling as something so central that it shapes existence itself.
Paul’s life after conversion reflects this. His calling didn’t merely influence what he believed; it determined how he used his time, where he traveled, with whom he worked, what he endured, and what he measured as success. He didn’t ask whether his assignment fit conveniently into his life. He reshaped his life around the assignment.
This is the heart of stewardship. When God entrusts someone with a calling, He isn’t handing them a weekend project. He’s shaping a life that must now be lived with direction and accountability. Gifts aren’t possessions. They’re responsibilities. Purpose isn’t self-expression. It’s trusting obedience.
I’ve learned over the years that calling quietly governs far more than ministry moments. It influences how I schedule my days, what opportunities I decline, where I invest my energy, and what kind of fruit I expect my life to produce. Writing, teaching, mentoring, and traveling aren’t simply activities I enjoy. They’re expressions of an assignment that shapes how I live.
This also clarifies accountability. Paul said he was set apart “to preach Him among the Gentiles.” His life would be evaluated not by comfort or convenience, but by faithfulness to that mission. The same is true for you. When calling shapes identity, fruit becomes more important than applause, and obedience becomes more important than preference.
Purpose, then, isn’t something you fit into your life. It’s something that gives your life its shape, structure, and meaning.
If God has set you apart for something, that calling deserves more than occasional attention. It deserves to influence how you choose your work, structure your time, build your relationships, and define success. A life entrusted with purpose is meant to be lived on purpose.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways have you treated your calling as an interest rather than as an assignment?
- How might your schedule, priorities, or choices change if your purpose truly shaped your life?
- What kind of fruit do you believe God is holding you accountable to produce?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for knowing me before I knew You and for designing my life with purpose. Help me see my calling not as a hobby, but as a trust that deserves my full attention. Shape my time, my choices, and my expectations around what You have entrusted to me. Teach me to live with intention and to bear the fruit You created me to produce. Amen.
Application
This week, examine one area of your life—your schedule, your work, or your relationships—and ask whether it reflects your purpose calling or merely your convenience. Make one intentional adjustment this week that aligns your daily life more closely with the purpose God has entrusted to you (for me, it is writing a little every day).