I am not my niche

niche

noun

a shallow recess, especially one in a wall to display a statue or other ornament.

a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment.

a role taken by a type of organism within its community.

a specialised segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.

adjective

denoting or relating to products, services, or interests that appeal to a small, specialised section of the population.

verb

place (something) in a niche.

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Every human being has searched for a sense of meaning or purpose at some point. We crave an identity, something that we’re known for and defined by. Something to fulfil us. We long for a niche, our own little bubble, a lifestyle specifically tailored to things we enjoy and are inspired by. Some people try to carve one out for themselves. But if you’re reading this, it’s likely that your niche found you instead. 

It’s a subtle process, mostly passive. We go through life developing various interests, our likes and dislikes, things we strongly believe in and things we regard as utter nonsense. They find their way into our decision making and thought processes, later defining our friendships, relationships, jobs, hobbies… you get the idea. When we finally find ourselves in our niche, it feels comfortable. It’s a secure place we can discover our identity in. Our lifestyles become custom-made to suit us and everything’s rosy for a while… Until something unexpected happens. Our circumstances change or become difficult. Our niche lets us down. It no longer brings us comfort and security. We begin to feel threatened in the very place that’s supposed to be safe.

And we've all had those moments. Just for a day. Maybe even just for 5 minutes. I like to call them “wobbles”. If we’re not careful, we can begin to doubt ourselves and feel unsure. I had one of those moments not too long ago. It’s common knowledge that med school can be tough, but the reality of how draining this niche can actually be is often played down… At times it can feel like an impossible balancing act. Staying on top of work often leaves you with little time for yourself or socialising. My biggest challenge was finding time to spend with God in prayer or reading my Bible. Before coming to uni, I had multiple avenues that helped me escape studies and maintain a balanced life, but the demanding nature of the degree leaves little time to pursue these necessities.

In all of this, I’ve learned that it’s ok to wobble. But we should try not to fall down completely. Otherwise we can end up going down the rabbit hole of negative thinking and despising our circumstances…

If you’re in a niche (which all of us are), you’re almost certainly there for a reason. Many of us have goals we work hard to achieve. This means putting ourselves in situations and circumstances that can feel uncomfortable. But if we know it’s what we want, we push through, knowing these moments are a fleeting means-to-an-end.

In retrospect, I now realise the cause of my wobble. The problem wasn’t medicine itself. The problem was tunnel vision. I did and do still love medicine… but it’s not my identity. I’m blessed that it’s a part of my niche, but it’s not the only part of it. 

Although most don’t like to admit it, everyone goes through this to some degree. Our own individual worlds with their ups and downs become our little niches, which can be a problem... since they are, as stated, "little". We live in a dynamic world and our circumstances are constantly changing. If our identity is found in something unstable, it’s no surprise that so many of us wobble. 

Our niches are supposed to be specific. That’s what makes them so suited to us as unique individuals. What we enjoy, our values and beliefs, what intrigues us… There’s a reason we’re drawn to certain things. God created each of us to be part of a community. To be a part of His church. The church is not simply a building people go to on a Sunday or a place for weddings and funerals… The church is a group of people all over world, from countless nations and generations, all with different niches crafted to complement each other and fit perfectly into God’s glorious masterpiece. This is why the Bible calls God’s people “the body of Christ”. We all have our different niches, but we’re all united by one thing. Or rather, one person. Jesus, who never changes, wobbles or falters. 

But what is the point of these niches?

Well, God didn’t design us all to be robots. He designed each individual with interests and talents to suit a particular set of circumstances and fill a need. This results in a vibrant and diverse community of people supporting each other, while each person still lives their own fulfilled life. Ultimately, this means we can learn to master our niches instead of being defined by them, so we end up displaying God’s glory in a uniquely beautiful way that no-one else can. 

Sound far fetched? 

Imagine if the NHS only comprised of surgeons. Seems great for the poor guy who needs leg surgery... but how would he be put to sleep for the operation without an anaesthetist? Or learn to walk again afterwards without a physiotherapist? What about a pharmacist to prescribe painkillers? Or a receptionist to help him book follow up appointments? You get my point. Healthcare is made up of multiple specialties, each indispensable and needing the other. In the same way, we were created to master and be fulfilled by a niche IN ORDER TO contribute to the lives of others and be a part of something much greater than ourselves.

The Bible describes this beautifully in the book of Romans, Chapter 12, Verses 1-8, explaining how we can use our niches to serve and build each other up:

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¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

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So what’s the key to mastering our niche? It's quite simple really. 

We must learn to live outside of our niche and within His will. We all long for a sense of purpose and identity, but this can only be TRULY found in Jesus. Any other place is unstable. If we place our purpose in them, niches can stop us from living the lives we’ve been called to live. Something that helps fulfil us can end up making us wobble and fall.

But if we place our purpose in Jesus, our identity is always stable. Our circumstances become an avenue for God to uniquely display His glory. We shouldn’t forget that He designed us and has better things planned for us than we could ever dream up or imagine! But we can't achieve them by ourselves.

Jesus died for us so we could have a relationship with God, finding our identity solely in the fact that we are His. In rising from death to life, Jesus showed that He is God and has mastery over the big things, like death, and all other things - even little things, like our niches. So by believing this and putting our trust in Him, we stop being defined by our niches and begin partnering with God to master over them, allowing us to fully and freely enjoy the lives He's called us to live.