“Every human being is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no other is, and to do what no other can do.”
–William Ellery Channing
Each and every person on earth is a unique creation of God. No two people look exactly alike, and no two people have identical fingerprints or DNA. Furthermore, nobody has ever lived who is exactly like you or me. This is truly remarkable when you consider that more than seven billion people currently live on this earth, not to mention all those who have lived in the past.
Just as none of us are exactly alike physically, no two people have exactly the same personality or character. I believe that we all have a special role to play in life, although most of us may not be exactly sure what that role is. One of our primary roles is to be a good parent, friend and neighbor. We can also be a source of cheer and encouragement to those around us. There are no small roles in life and there are no small players. We are all equal in God’s eyes, but our roles are not all the same.
Too many of us want to be like someone else. We may envy famous people and wish we could trade places with them. Sometimes people set the goal for themselves of being exactly like some other person they admire. If God wanted us to be that other person, he would have created us as that person. Certainly we should look to other people as role models, but we shouldn’t want to be exactly like anyone else. We should try to cultivate those character traits we most admire in others, but our character will be a composite of many others and will be unique.
We all have something special to offer. Perhaps we are supposed to write a unique song or book that could come only from us. It is reported that the man who wrote Jingle Bells was very discouraged at the end of his life, thinking that he had been a total failure. He had no way of knowing that his song would eventually become very popular and be appreciated for centuries. Perhaps our role is to be a special friend to someone who desperately needs a friend, or to give guidance and encouragement to a special young person. When Sara Bush Johnston married Thomas Lincoln and became Abraham Lincoln’s stepmother, she could have had no idea that her stepson would play such an important role in history, at least partly because of her influence on him.
How can we know whether we are playing the role that God wants us to play in life? If our hearts are full of love for God and our fellow travelers through life, and if we follow the dictates of our heart, I believe that our actions will be pleasing to God.
Think about it.
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Copyright 2026
Allen W. Smith
