If You Believed You Were Given, Not Made, How Would You Live?

 The question is deceptively simple, yet quietly disruptive. It asks us to reconsider the origin of our worth, the source of our purpose, and the framework through which we make decisions. In The Gift by Tabitha Nance, this question sits beneath the story like a steady current, inviting readers to move beyond self-construction and toward a deeper understanding of identity as something received, protected, and entrusted rather than manufactured or earned.

Identity as Inheritance, Not Invention

Modern culture encourages people to assemble themselves piece by piece. Identity is often treated as a personal project, shaped by achievement, visibility, and approval. The book challenges this premise by introducing identity as something given before effort ever begins. To be given is to be intentional. It suggests design rather than accident, purpose rather than improvisation. This shift alone alters how one approaches life, not as a performance to prove worth, but as a responsibility to steward what has already been deemed valuable.

Living with the Weight of Intention

If a life is given, it carries intention. The narrative repeatedly returns to the idea that what is given is meant to be cared for, not casually spent. This perspective reframes daily choices. Decisions are no longer isolated acts of preference but reflections of how seriously one takes the responsibility of being entrusted with something sacred. The story’s progression from Heaven to Earth reinforces this idea, showing that intention does not fade when life becomes complicated or noisy. It remains present, even when it is ignored.

Protection as an Act of Wisdom

Protection, in the book’s framework, is not fear-driven or restrictive. It is deliberate. What is valuable is not placed in constant exposure, and what is meaningful is not rushed toward consumption. This approach contrasts sharply with a world that rewards immediacy and visibility. The story positions restraint not as denial, but as discernment. To protect what has been given is to acknowledge its worth and to recognize that timing matters as much as intention.

The Discipline of Waiting

Waiting is portrayed as an active discipline rather than a passive delay. The narrative does not romanticize patience, but it does elevate it. Waiting becomes a form of alignment, a choice to honor timing that is larger than personal desire. In a culture that often equates speed with success, this portrayal reframes waiting as strength. It is a refusal to trade long-term meaning for short-term satisfaction. When something is given, it is not always meant to be opened immediately.

Relationships as Sacred Exchange

One of the book’s most striking ideas is the portrayal of relationships not as transactions, but as exchanges of trust. Giving oneself is not framed as loss, but as fulfillment of purpose at the right time. This perspective challenges the modern tendency to approach relationships as experiments or conveniences. Instead, relationships are shown as moments where intention, patience, and responsibility converge. To give oneself fully is meaningful only when one has first learned how to protect oneself wisely.

Legacy Beyond Possessions

The narrative extends beyond individual life and into generational impact. What is handed down is not limited to beliefs or traditions, but includes posture, values, and understanding of worth. Legacy is presented as something shaped quietly through example rather than loudly through instruction. The way a person treats what they have been given teaches others how to treat what they receive. This approach places responsibility not only on parents, but on anyone whose life is observed by others.

Hearing Purpose Above the Noise

As the story progresses, it acknowledges the difficulty of maintaining clarity in a world full of competing voices. Purpose does not disappear, but it can become harder to hear. The book does not offer simplistic solutions to this tension. Instead, it suggests attentiveness. Hearing purpose requires stillness, humility, and the willingness to quiet external definitions of success. When life is understood as given, listening becomes essential. Purpose is not invented in noise, but recognized in clarity.

Living as a Steward, Not an Owner

Perhaps the most transformative idea is the shift from ownership to stewardship. Ownership implies control. Stewardship implies care. To live as a steward is to recognize that life is not disposable, interchangeable, or self-directed in isolation. Every choice carries weight because it affects something entrusted rather than possessed. This mindset influences how one treats their body, relationships, time, and influence. Stewardship invites responsibility without arrogance and humility without passivity.

A Different Measure of Success

If life is given, success cannot be measured solely by accumulation or recognition. The book quietly proposes an alternative metric rooted in faithfulness, patience, and integrity. Success becomes less about how much is achieved and more about how carefully what was given was handled. This reframing offers relief in a world driven by constant comparison. It allows space for quiet lives, unseen choices, and long-term impact that may not be immediately visible.

The Question That Lingers

The power of the question is not in how it is answered, but in how long it stays. If you believed you were given, not made, how would you live differently tomorrow? The book does not demand a single response. Instead, it invites reflection, one decision at a time. It suggests that the most meaningful lives are not those that are endlessly reinvented, but those that are faithfully lived in alignment with the intention behind their giving.

In the end, the story does not attempt to resolve every tension of modern life. What it offers is a lens, one that shifts the focus from self-definition to stewardship. Through that lens, life becomes less about proving worth and more about honoring it.

Availability

Book Name: The Gift
Author Name: Tabitha Nance
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/i3Opvab