The word ‘before’ gives the idea of something that precedes an event or occurrence. In this context, ‘before’ takes precedence over all the events of our lives, starting from the moment we are conceived to the rest of our eternal life. There is always conception before the child’s birth and there is always a seed before the tree. I strongly believe that the ocean was created before the fish. It should be convincing enough that thoughts, ideas, and intents precede the creation of everything that we know. Purpose precedes creation! If there is no purpose, there is no reason for creating anything.

The originator of an idea is the first person who has the inkling of the idea and becomes so obsessed with it before turning the idea into a purposeful, relatable, and tangible thing that others can identify with. But it all starts in the mind of the creator before’ it becomes a reality.  The creator takes the time to think, analyze, prepare and nurture the idea before releasing it to the world to see.

What goes on behind the scenes when manufacturing any item is rarely known to people outside the process. This applies to the majority of the things we use daily. Items such as phones, laptops, watches, cars etc. serve a unique purpose; but we hardly know how these items were made or the process involved in developing the idea. If we are required to know how these things were made before we can use them, only a few people will qualify. 

I don’t know how Steve Jobs came up with the idea of the iPhone, but I know the purpose of an iPhone. I have used an iPhone without having the knowledge of how it was made. We don’t need to meet Steve Jobs to be able to use of an iPhone. Its design and the features already reveal its purpose; and the product speaks for itself. Before Steve Jobs created the iPhone, he had an idea of what features they would have. And he designed the phone with those specifications in mind. That includes features such as email, camera, music, data storage, conference call, and more. The phone’s capabilities are based on its specifications (features). We can always push the limits of a product once we clearly understand its features and capacity.

Before Steve Jobs and other inventors who had product ideas, there was God, the Master Creator. In the Bible, God told a man named Jeremiah that, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5). Note that God did not say, while I was forming you or when I formed you. He said “BEFORE.”

Think about it. “Before” is an indication that God had an agenda for what He wanted from each one of us. He deliberately placed us in our mother’s womb. That means we were not an afterthought! We did not arrive on earth without an intended purpose. If God didn’t have a specific purpose for us, He wouldn’t need to create us in the first place. Our purpose was in the mind of God as part of His original idea. He designed us to particular specifications and included in us capabilities to function according to His intention. These features are what distinguish us from other people. Therefore, within our specifications lies our capabilities. And it is in the area of our specifications and capabilities that we become productive. 

The core truth of this matter is our lives began historically ‘before’ we were conceived in our mother’s womb. God designed us to meet certain criteria that will help us accomplish HIS purpose. It is therefore important that we know our specification and improve our capabilities so we can multiply our productivity in life. We can all be very productive in life if we connect ourselves to what God designed us for.

“Finding yourself is the best gift you can have in life.”

Understanding your specification is what helps you focus on the core aspects of your life. There is something in the mind of God that set precedence to the reason He created you and placed you in your mother’s womb. What He had in mind is what determined your function, specifications, and capabilities; and all of these will lead to your productivity in life. You only maximize your potential in the areas of your specific design. Doing anything outside of what you were designed for is abuse; don’t do it.

“Before” signifies that God is strategic about what He wants prior to creating us, though we may be clueless of it. It is wisdom to find and connect ourselves to what God strategically designed us for. It is this discovery that will set us apart from the rest of the world. Our history begins ‘before‘.