When I was young I was fully aware of the fact that I was different. I could hardly be seen as the spitting image of my dad, a brilliant and computer savvy mind. I wasn’t exactly like my mom, a fearless go-getter with a photographic memory. Nor was I easily compared to my sister, a quiet, Shirley Temple look-alike that could spell “encyclopedia” at age five. I was loud, never still, always trying to make people laugh, and the biggest klutz anyone had ever seen. As I grew, the people I met and became friends with just reemphasized and proved my hypothesis. I was a bit of an oddity.
“I was a bit of an oddity”
From the beginning of time, no two people have ever been precisely the same and they never will be. If God desired for us all to look and act alike, or have the same passions, then why are we not all Adam, Eve, Abraham, or Sarah and so on? From an early age, we are presented with a choice:
1) We can conform to the world and try to better fit our environment of family, friends, co-workers and even acquaintances by burying who we are. But, in doing so, we are recognizing God’s handiwork and saying, “no thanks.” All the while taking that life and concealing it in tombs where we will forever hear the laments of “what if?” Or,
2) We could swallow our fears and embrace the workmanship of the Creator (Romans 12:2). This path beckons us to abandon our unrest and learn the beauty of being still long enough for God to pour into us. A cup that chooses to be still is easier to fill with the deluge of truth, light, and life more abundantly.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
– Romans 12:2
Honest confession… I oscillated between both paths until I conceded to the specific attributes God Himself engraved as specifically as a fingerprint in my spirit. When I acknowledged and said “Yes!” to that which the Lord fashioned and knew from the beginning, even before the womb, I took my first steps into not just the good or the acceptable, but the perfect will of God. Adam and Eve in their own way conformed to the world, thinking they needed to be, do, or know something more. Because hindsight is 20/20, they even became self-conscious of their appearance after the fall and tried to camouflage the outcome of conformity. We’re talking pre and post fall here, people. All the while, God called out to them, “Where are you?”, “Who told you, you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11). Both times God was looking for those whom He had molded to perfection and known intimately.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5
We can be one and still be individuals just as God is one and yet is also individually Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This can be experienced in many ways. In nature for example, not every flower produces the same scent or even conveys the same visual experience. Yet, they all spring forth soaking up the sun. Consider the tree. No two branches are the same in size or shape; but, still they are all connected to the tree. 1 Corinthians 12:12-25 and Romans 12:4-8 sheds light on this very subject. These verses create an exquisite portrait of a functioning body. Every part is as important as the other and not a single one is any less a part of the body. How silly would it be for a foot to masquerade as a hand? How inconceivable would it be for an ear to moonlight as an eye? You may be a foot to help the body stand firm. You may be an ear to help the body hear the drumming of God’s still small voice. Either way, we need you. We don’t just need you, but we need you to be YOU. God arranged us all as He wanted us. You are no mistake and you’ve been precisely placed in the body for such a time as this.
Now, there are seasons of change and growth. But even a tree ,whether its leaves are green, brown, or have fallen down, is still a tree. It is instilled in a caterpillar to be a butterfly, but it must undergo a metamorphosis to become what it’s intended to be. Letting go of the sinful nature, crucifying the flesh, and picking up your cross are all necessary. The human body sheds on average about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells every minute. That’s around 43,200,000 to 57,600,000 a day. If our bodies didn’t shed these dead skin cells, we would be left wide open to a plethora of infections and diseases. Likewise we must shed the dead things daily. Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us to throw off the old sinful nature which is corrupt. What’s alive in us is life and what’s dead in us is death. But don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. We are beautiful in God’s eyes when we no longer imitate the ideals and opinions of the culture around us, and inwardly transform by the Holy Spirit. This empowers us with the discernment of God’s will (Romans 12:2).
Romans 12
4 In the human body there are many parts and organs, each with a unique function. 5 And so it is in the body of Christ. For though we are many, we’ve all been mingled into one body in Christ. This means that we are all vitally joined to one another, with each contributing to the others.6 God’s marvelous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts and ministries that are uniquely ours. So if God has given you the grace-gift of prophecy, you must activate your gift by using the proportion of faith you have to prophesy. 7 If your grace-gift is serving, then thrive in serving others well. If you have the grace-gift of teaching, then be actively teaching and training others. 8 If you have the grace-gift of encouragement, then use it often to encourage others. If you have the grace-gift of giving to meet the needs of others, then may you prosper in your generosity without any fanfare. If you have the gift of leadership, be passionate about your leadership. And if you have the gift of showing compassion, then flourish in your cheerful display of compassion.
We each have cosmic significance according to Jewish and Christian teachings. It is possible that one person may live their whole entire lifetime for the single purpose of one word in one sentence that is only spoken once. So vibrate with the frequency of your role and ring out the note that is your designated design by the accuracy of our loving God. For the song of all creation wouldn’t resonate with the Conductor’s intended orchestrated arrangement the same, if even one of you were to be silent.
By Bryn Wilson
This is very beautiful, something I think we all need to hear every now and then! It’s easy to forget how loving and forgiving God is and how unique He wants us to be with Him. He doesn’t want us to have a relationship built off of what we see other people doing, He wants us to just be with Him. Great job momma, I love you. God bless!