Tuesday Read: The Accident of Birth
You didn't choose when or where you were born. You didn't select your parents, your country, your historical moment, your native language, your skin color, or your economic circumstances. These fundamental realities that shape your entire existence were decided before you took your first breath. The accident of birth - being born in 21st century America versus 15th century Mongolia - determines almost everything about your life opportunities.
This randomness bothers us. We want to believe we're self-made, that our achievements are entirely our own, that we earned everything we have. But the truth is more humbling: if you were born in a war zone, you'd face different struggles. If you were born a century earlier, you'd die of diseases now easily cured. If you were born into poverty in a country without social mobility, your hard work might never produce the results it does in more prosperous circumstances.
Paul addressed this directly in Athens: "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands" (Acts 17:26). God determines when and where people live. Your birth wasn't an accident - it was an appointment. The time and place of your life were set by divine intention, not random chance.
This should produce two responses. First, humility. If you were born with advantages - education, stable family, economic opportunity, physical health, a country with functioning institutions - these aren't evidence of your superiority. You didn't earn them. They're grace. Recognizing this destroys pride and creates gratitude. Every privilege you have is a gift you did nothing to deserve.
Second, responsibility. If God positioned you in this time and place intentionally, then your life has purpose connected to your circumstances. Esther was born into exile, became queen through unusual circumstances, and found herself uniquely positioned to save her people. Mordecai told her: "Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Her birth circumstances weren't random - they were preparation.
You're reading this in February 2026, which means you're alive during particular challenges and opportunities. You live somewhere specific, with certain resources and relationships. None of this is accidental. God positioned you here for a reason. The question is what you'll do with the unearned advantages and the unexpected responsibilities that came with your birth.
February is Black History Month, established in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson to counter the systematic erasure of Black contributions to American history. Woodson didn't choose to be born Black in 1875 Virginia, nine years after slavery ended but during Jim Crow's rise. But he stewarded his education and used his position to change how history was taught. His accident of birth became his assignment.
What about yours? What advantages did you receive through no merit of your own? How might you steward those for others' benefit? What disadvantages have shaped you in ways that prepare you for specific work? Your circumstances aren't random. God set your times and boundaries with purpose. The question is whether you'll recognize the assignment hidden in your accident of birth.
