Uniqueness
“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4
I am the type of person who ‘hides’ when things around me get rough. Family issues, health problems, or even when God is dealing with me about something that I am struggling with can cause me pull away from the world and draw close to God. For the most part though I tend to be an outgoing person. I love meeting new people and enjoy ministering to those around me when God gives me the opportunity. Most of all I love praying for people, going to war spiritually for those that God places on my heart. I love that friends and family contact me for prayer or just to talk, and I have a heart for hurting people. But there comes a time when I need to draw away from the world and draw close to Him when I feel that I am overwhelmed and utterly drained.
Many of us handle stressful situations in this way.
I have tried to not react to stress in this way. Many of my friends tend to get a little offended because there are times when it may take me sometime to return phone calls, or there may be times that I stay home instead of hanging out with people. I have really beat up on myself about it in the past and try to be as social as I can through times of trouble, but it just seems to be part of my personality. I have slowly started to learn that I am allowed to have boundaries in my life. It is ok to say “No” and I do not have to be a people-pleaser.
I think we tend to try and push our personalities on others and then get angry when others are not more like us. Sometimes friends and even family will ‘religiously’ judge each other because one feels that the way they live their life is the ‘right way’ and anything else is wrong. This is a very critical way to live life and not at all what God’s Word teaches us. God made us each very unique for a reason. When we love unconditionally it is then that we are better able to accept people for who they are, not what WE want them to be.
I struggled with a critical and haughty spirit for a long time until I noticed that my idea of perfection turned others away from Jesus, who unlike me is merciful, loving, patient, kind, graceful, and all-knowing. It was actually my husband who would argue with me about what I believed God the Father was like. I used to picture God looking down at me as He shook His head in disappointment as I failed to meet His perfect picture of what I needed to be. I would then take that attitude and wrongly judge others.
My husband would say to me,
Many of us handle stressful situations in this way.
I have tried to not react to stress in this way. Many of my friends tend to get a little offended because there are times when it may take me sometime to return phone calls, or there may be times that I stay home instead of hanging out with people. I have really beat up on myself about it in the past and try to be as social as I can through times of trouble, but it just seems to be part of my personality. I have slowly started to learn that I am allowed to have boundaries in my life. It is ok to say “No” and I do not have to be a people-pleaser.
I think we tend to try and push our personalities on others and then get angry when others are not more like us. Sometimes friends and even family will ‘religiously’ judge each other because one feels that the way they live their life is the ‘right way’ and anything else is wrong. This is a very critical way to live life and not at all what God’s Word teaches us. God made us each very unique for a reason. When we love unconditionally it is then that we are better able to accept people for who they are, not what WE want them to be.
I struggled with a critical and haughty spirit for a long time until I noticed that my idea of perfection turned others away from Jesus, who unlike me is merciful, loving, patient, kind, graceful, and all-knowing. It was actually my husband who would argue with me about what I believed God the Father was like. I used to picture God looking down at me as He shook His head in disappointment as I failed to meet His perfect picture of what I needed to be. I would then take that attitude and wrongly judge others.
My husband would say to me,
“That is not how God sees you! I refuse to believe that God would send His only Son as a sacrifice for your sins so that He could set you free yet He would spend the rest of your life pointing His finger at you in disappointment. That is not the God I read about in the bible.”
He was right.
I still have to watch my attitude toward others who I may think are lazy, selfish, ‘religious’ or not as spiritually sensitive to worldly things as I think they should be. But God is patient with me and I am being constantly “transformed by renewing of my mind”.
Remember, God created each us in a unique way. We are not meant to be the same. God loves variety! Look at how many different flowers there are on the Earth! We are all different - from our faces to our fingerprints. Our most inner genetic makeup is unique as is our most outer part. Because of this, God deals with each of us in unique ways: “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7.
Jesus said in Luke 16:15, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”
WOW! We try to justify ourselves to each other and yet what we think has worldly value is utter garbage to God! It is detestable because it will only harm us! There is no good that can come of worldly judgements.
Today, God gave me peace about ‘hiding’. It is my way of seeking God during times of trouble. Rather than gossip or mumble and complain about my troubles, I seek God. It may be nonsense to others but God sees my heart. I don’t seclude myself completely, God does not want us to be alone all the time. He wants us to take courage in each other and to share each others burdens, but He does honor us when we take time to be alone with Him for a set period of time.
I still have to watch my attitude toward others who I may think are lazy, selfish, ‘religious’ or not as spiritually sensitive to worldly things as I think they should be. But God is patient with me and I am being constantly “transformed by renewing of my mind”.
Remember, God created each us in a unique way. We are not meant to be the same. God loves variety! Look at how many different flowers there are on the Earth! We are all different - from our faces to our fingerprints. Our most inner genetic makeup is unique as is our most outer part. Because of this, God deals with each of us in unique ways: “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7.
Jesus said in Luke 16:15, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”
WOW! We try to justify ourselves to each other and yet what we think has worldly value is utter garbage to God! It is detestable because it will only harm us! There is no good that can come of worldly judgements.
Today, God gave me peace about ‘hiding’. It is my way of seeking God during times of trouble. Rather than gossip or mumble and complain about my troubles, I seek God. It may be nonsense to others but God sees my heart. I don’t seclude myself completely, God does not want us to be alone all the time. He wants us to take courage in each other and to share each others burdens, but He does honor us when we take time to be alone with Him for a set period of time.
I bet you can think of a personality trait that makes you unique when compared with others. Don’t be ashamed of that and don’t try to model yourself after other people. They are called “idols” for a reason. You should be modeling yourself after God as the Holy Spirit leads you. God wants to use the uniqueness He created in you for His Glory.
Encourage those around you today in their unique gifts, unique personalities, and most of all - their ‘uniqueness’. Celebrate your own uniqueness! You are you and there is no one else like you, and that is wonderful:)
