Each of us has different assignments, and we each carry unique ministry gifts (expressions of Christ’s ministry through us) to fulfill those assignments, but every Christian has the same identity and the same calling or destiny. Our identity is being “in Christ,” for Colossians 3:4 says that Christ “is our life,” and only as we discover what it means for Christ to be our very life are we able to fulfill our calling, which is Christ-likeness. If you don’t understand what it means to be in union with Christ and, therefore, for Christ to be your very life, then you will try to fulfill your calling by doing your best to be like Christ, which is the very definition of living under the law; trying your best to be godly. The gospel of grace tells us that the only way we can be godly or Christlike is for Christ to live His best through us. This is the liberating, glorious reality of the good news: Christ in you, the hope of glory. Take a fresh look at Romans 8:28 – 29; “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of His son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren;”
We are all called according to God’s single-purpose, and that purpose is that we would be predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus so that there would be a lot of Christlike people walking around. Your number one calling in life is not to win at things, whether it is an argument or anything else, but your calling is to be Christlike in whatever you do. I find that there seem to be a lot of Christians who think that their primary calling is to try to argue their point of view, to win people over, and, if they can’t, to shame them. The problem is, even if your point of view is the point of view of Christ about an issue, if your attitude in trying to win is not Christlike, then you have failed at the most important thing: fulfilling your calling to manifest the likeness of Jesus. The fruit of the spirit transcends personality types, and the fruit of the spirit is at least part of what Christ-likeness looks like when on display. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control are your true identity being revealed and your true destiny being fulfilled in the present moment. My identity is not found in some cause, or some movement, or in my appearance (including the color of my skin), or my politics, or my nation (even though I love and am grateful for my country), but my identity is in Christ and Christ alone, and my calling and destiny is to manifest His likeness and glory in everything that I do and in every conversation that I have. God made it simple for us, and He even implanted the very life of Christ in me through the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit so that being Christlike would be a personally fascinating and adventurous joyride as He Jesus does the shining. Christ-likeness is not an act but an action that Jesus Christ himself alone is able to perform.