“God shows no partiality.”— Romans 2:11
Growing up in southern India, in the state of Kerala, I remember pastors visiting our home very often.
Many of them would pray over me and say things like:
- “God has a mighty calling on your life.”
- “You are going to minister to nations.”
- “Thousands will come to the Lord through you.”
- “You have a special anointing.”
As a child, hearing those words repeatedly does something to you.
But it especially affected my mother. She was overjoyed. To her, I was not just another child growing up in the church. I was “the special one.” The boy with a unique purpose. Someone marked out by God in an extraordinary way, almost like another Samson in the making.
And to be honest, maybe I slowly began seeing myself that way too.
This was not just one isolated prophecy. These kinds of words followed me throughout my life. They became woven into how I viewed my future, my identity, and even my decisions.
When I was preparing for marriage, I remember speaking to my would-be wife about my “calling.” I wondered whether she would be okay with whatever ministry path God supposedly had planned for me.
Everything revolved around this idea that I was destined for something unusually great.
The Hidden Weight of “Specialness”
At first, these prophetic words feel exciting.
They make you feel chosen.
Important.
Set apart.
And many times, the people speaking them are probably sincere. I do not believe most are intentionally trying to deceive others. Many genuinely believe they are encouraging someone spiritually.
But over time, I began noticing something troubling.
This constant emphasis on being “special” creates an invisible pressure on the soul.
Because now your identity is no longer simply rooted in Christ.
It becomes rooted in destiny.
- In platform.
- In impact.
- In scale.
You slowly begin measuring your spiritual worth by how “great” your ministry appears to be.
Without realizing it, you start expecting a certain kind of life story:
- Big stages
- Massive influence
- Global ministry
- Spiritual fame
- Recognition
- “Next-level anointing”
And if life does not unfold that way, something inside you quietly begins to panic.
Discovering Grace
Years later, after spending time in ministry and leading worship, I stumbled upon the truth of grace.
And honestly, grace dismantled my entire way of thinking.
I began realizing something beautiful:
God does not have spiritual celebrities.
He does not have “super-Christians.”
He does not have a special elite class of believers who are more loved, more accepted, or more spiritually valuable than others.
Yes, people are called to different functions and ministries.
But different function does not mean different worth.
The janitor cleaning quietly in faithfulness is not less valuable than the preacher on the stage.
The mother raising children in love is not spiritually inferior to the missionary traveling nations.
The believer praying silently in obscurity is not second-class compared to the worship leader under lights.
Grace shattered the illusion that some of us are the “main characters” in God’s kingdom while others are merely background people.
In Christ, we already possess the highest identity possible.
Not because of gifting.
Not because of platform.
Not because of ministry scale.
But because of Him.
The Dangerous Side of Inflated Prophecy
One of the most dangerous effects of exaggerated prophetic culture is that it inflates the ego without us even realizing it.
Suddenly every obstacle becomes:
“The enemy is attacking me because I am dangerous to the kingdom of darkness.”
Every criticism becomes persecution.
Every closed door becomes spiritual warfare.
Why?
Because deep down, we believe we are extraordinarily important in some unique way.
We start imagining ourselves as the next Reinhard Bonnke or Benny Hinn.
And many ministries unknowingly feed this mindset constantly:
- “You carry something rare.”
- “You have a mantle.”
- “You are marked for greatness.”
- “Nations are waiting for you.”
But eventually I realized something:
Almost everybody was receiving similar prophecies.
And more importantly:
God shows no favoritism.
He is not building an elite spiritual hierarchy where a few “anointed ones” matter more than the rest.
The Exhaustion of Chasing a Prophecy
The saddest part is what happens later.
If someone spends years believing they are destined for massive visible ministry, but life unfolds quietly and ordinarily, they begin feeling like failures.
They feel like they “missed God.”
Like they lost their calling somewhere.
Like they disappointed heaven.
And honestly, had I continued thinking that way, approaching 40 years old now would probably feel crushing.
I would be wondering:
- “Where are the crowds?”
- “Where are the stages?”
- “Why didn’t my ministry explode?”
- “Did I miss my destiny?”
This mindset quietly destroys people.
It turns life into a race for significance.
And sadly, I have seen people become consumed by ambition in the name of “calling.”
They step over others.
Ignore abuse allegations against leaders.
Compromise integrity.
Compete endlessly.
Why?
Because they are desperately trying to “arrive” at the prophetic picture painted over their lives.
The kingdom becomes a rat race disguised as spirituality.
You Have Not Missed Anything
If this is you today, I want you to hear something clearly:
You have not missed your calling.
Your life was never meant to be a frantic sprint toward spiritual greatness.
God is not standing over you disappointed because you did not become famous enough for Him.
He is not anxiously measuring your impact metrics.
He is not grading your worth based on audience size.
You are already fully accepted in Christ.
Fully loved.
Fully complete.
And your journey with God was never meant to inflate your ego.
It was meant to reveal His love.
Walking With God, Not Performing for Him
The Christian life is not about becoming impressive.
It is about walking with God.
Hand in hand.
Day by day.
Sometimes quietly.
Sometimes unseen.
Sometimes in seasons that feel ordinary.
But ordinary does not mean insignificant.
Jesus Himself spent most of His earthly life outside public ministry.
He walked.
He loved.
He served.
He listened.
He obeyed the Father.
And perhaps true maturity is not becoming spiritually “great,” but becoming small enough to simply trust Him.
Life with God is not about becoming extraordinary in the eyes of people.
It is about resting in the extraordinary grace already given to you in Christ.
And from that place, we stop striving to become “special.”
Instead, we become free to love others, serve others, and point others to the same grace that set us free.
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