Wednesday, May 18, 2011

31 Days - What Makes You Uniquely You?

Day 2. 


I don't feel very unique. When I think about anything that might make me different from others, I start to think about how many other people have that same quality. This is actually kind of nice. 


Before Christ I thought I was unique in my hopelessness. I thought I was worse than everybody else and nobody struggled with the same things as me - and if they did struggle with the same things, they handled it way better than me. I thought I was unique in that I was a failure. 


Now that I know Christ, I know that I'm unique in that I have a specific function in God's plan. 


"But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?" 1 Corinthians 12:18-19


I'm not that much different from you or the next person. I don't have any standout qualities that make me super special but I was created for a specific purpose, and that makes me unique. I do believe that although I was created to glorify God and He desires me to do so, if I don't step up to the plate and utilize my gifts as a part of God's body of believers He will use somebody else that is willing (willing does not mean perfect - it means being ready for action despite any fears we face or imperfections we might have. God never expects us to be perfect to be a part of His plan). His glory is more important to Him than my participation meaning that He will not put an end to His perfect plan because I choose not to participate. 


"For My name's sake I defer my anger,
for the sake of My praise I restrain it for you,
that I may not cut you off.
Behold, I have refined you but not like silver;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
For My own sakefor My own sake I do it,
for how should My name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another."

Isaiah 48:9-11


But we're all blessed in that we get to participate! He wants us to be a part of His glory - we were created for His glory! Each one in our own unique way. 

"But now, thus says the Lord, your creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed even whom I have made" (NASB)." Isaiah 43:1-7

We should learn from each other, but we should not strive to be each other because we were not given the same gifts to work with. We should strive to be the best version of ourselves. (See Parable of the Talents; Matthew 25:14-30)

We are all unique in our function in God's plan, but we are all splendidly uniform in this:

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9


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