Why Did God Make YOU?
By Pastor Karl Bastian, aka the Kidologist
I received my call to ministry when I was ten years old.
A children’s evangelist came to our church. I was completely captivated. He used magic tricks, puppets, and storytelling to teach the Bible in a way that made kids laugh, think, and listen. I remember sitting there thinking, That is the greatest job in the world.
After the service I told my mom, “That’s what I want to do when I grow up.”
Her response surprised me.
“You start next Wednesday.”
I protested. “Mom, I said when I grow up!”
She calmly replied, “If God has called you to children’s ministry, what does growing up have to do with anything?”
Then she did something that changed the trajectory of my life. She started telling me about the many young people God used in the Bible—David facing Goliath, Samuel hearing God’s voice as a child, the boy who gave his lunch to Jesus, and others who were young but willing.
My mom didn’t just encourage me—she equipped me. She helped me get my first puppet. She coached me on learning simple magic tricks. She gave me opportunities to share with children at our church.
And little by little, my speaking ministry grew. By the time I went off to Bible college, I had already been on mission trips and was speaking in churches around the Chicagoland area.
But something interesting happened when I got to college.
Many of the other students were talking about what they planned to do with their lives. They had clear goals: pastor a church, become missionaries, work in counseling, or teach.
When people asked me what I was going to do, I struggled to answer.
All I knew was this: I wanted to reach and teach children with the Good News of Jesus.
But what did that look like long term? I had no idea.
I didn’t feel called to be a lead pastor. And in the early 1990s, the idea of a full-time children’s pastor was still fairly uncommon. I loved ministering to kids, but I wasn’t sure how that calling fit into a lifetime of ministry.
Then I read a book that changed everything.
The book was called “The Intentional Minister” by Thomas Goodman. In it, he encouraged readers to seek God’s guidance in developing what he called a “Ministry Manifesto.”
Today we might call it a Life Mission Statement.
But the question behind it is simple and profound: Why are YOU here?
Not in a general sense. Not what humans are meant to do collectively.
But why did God create YOU specifically?
Goodman explained that there are many good things a person can do with their life. But discovering your unique mission helps you know which good things are actually your assignment. When you know your mission, you gain something powerful: the ability to say no to good opportunities that are not part of your calling.
That idea captured my imagination. I wanted to know my mission.
So I did something a little unusual.
I dropped out of school for a week.
I rented a small cabin at a camp in Wisconsin. I brought my Bible, my camera, and my guitar, along with basic supplies.
During that week I fasted, prayed, walked in the woods, and asked God a simple question again and again:
“Why was Karl Bastian created?”
By the end of that week, God had given me a clear answer.
My life mission became this:
To reach and teach as many children as possible with the Good News of God’s love, and in the process to enlist, equip, and encourage others to do the same.
The first half of that mission was easy to understand. At the time I was teaching children’s church at The Moody Church in Chicago. Reaching and teaching kids made perfect sense to me.
But the second half—enlisting, equipping, and encouraging others—was a mystery.
I didn’t know what that meant yet.
But God did.
Around that same time, something new was quietly emerging in the world: the Internet.
In the early 1990s it was still in its infancy. Long before Google, YouTube, blogs, or social media existed, I began experimenting with using the Internet as a way to connect with other children’s ministry leaders. I launched a website called The KidologyWEB — a place dedicated to equipping and encouraging those in children’s ministry.
I had no idea what it would become.
Over time that little idea grew into a global ministry. Through Kidology and other platforms, God has allowed me to reach leaders in countless countries and help equip thousands of people who serve children every week. (See them all at KarlBastian.info – or read the full story in my book A Bright Idea.)
Looking back, I can see clearly how God fulfilled that mission He gave me in that cabin. And He’s still doing it today through Kidology.org, KarlBastian.club, and other avenues that continue to expand the reach of that original calling.
But here’s the truth: This article isn’t really about me. It’s about you.
Have you ever asked yourself the question: Why did God make YOU?
Discovering that answer is one of the most important things you will ever do in your life—second only to accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. When you understand your God-given mission, everything changes.
You gain:
Purpose.
Focus.
Direction.
Intentionality.
Your life stops drifting and starts moving with clarity.
You also gain the freedom to say no to things that may look good—but are actually distractions from what God has called you to do.
When you know your mission, decisions become easier. Even difficult seasons become more bearable. Hard times and discouragement still come, but they don’t derail you because you know you are doing what God created you to do.
You are living on mission.
And living on mission is one of the most satisfying ways to live.
So let me encourage you to take time to ask God the same question I asked all those years ago:
“Lord, why did You make me?”
Spend time praying. Reflect on the gifts God has given you, the passions in your heart, and the ways He has used you in the past.
Write it down.
Refine it.
Let it guide your life.
If you already have a Life Mission Statement—whatever you choose to call it—I would love to hear it. You can send it to me at karl@kidology.org.
Because when you discover why God made you, life becomes an incredible adventure.
And remember this simple truth: “Do what you LOVE what you do.”
In other words:
Do what you love.
Love what you do.
And do it all for the glory of God.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
— Ephesians 2:10
By Karl Bastian
Kidology.org | KarlBastian.info | Download Article
