Are We Replaceable?

I had an interesting conversation the other day about the value of a person's individual contribution.  A reference was made to the saying 'everyone's replaceable.'


Working in HR, especially being part of the onboarding and offboarding process, I understand the point of this saying.  To a degree we are all replaceable.   At some point there will come a time for all of us when we will leave our positions, whether through job transfer or promotion or retirement, and we would generally hope there is someone who can step in after us to continue the work.


However, in another very real sense we are not replaceable at all.  I would venture to say, in many careers at least, that no one else can do your job exactly the way you can.  No one else can reach certain people the way you can.   No one else has the same combination of talent and character and personality as you do.


Consider Psalms 139:14


"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."


And also Ephesians 2: 10


"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us do."


Or this promise from Isaiah 49.


"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..."


So it would seem then that we are all uniquely equipped by our Creator God for the calling before us.  As Paul writes in Ephesians 4 let us live a life worthy of the call we have received.