God Made You Different — And That's a Good Thing

You Are One of a Kind

Has anyone ever told you that you are too loud, too quiet, or maybe just a little different? Guess what — that's actually a really good thing. God made each of you and all of us special, like a one-of-a-kind superhero, and He wants you to be you.

The Bible shows us that God's family has a place for everyone, even people who seem very different.

Two Cousins, Two Styles

Think about two cousins in the Bible: John the Baptist and Jesus.

John was really wild. He lived in the desert, wore rough clothes made of camel hair, and ate bugs and honey. He was loud and just said whatever came to his mind to everyone — even powerful people.

Now, Jesus loved John, and they were cousins, but He was different from John. He was kind. He went to dinner parties. He loved spending time with all sorts of people.

Even though John and Jesus had totally different styles, they were both doing God's work.

Get Off the Sidelines

Sometimes when we see someone doing something differently, we might get confused and even start to criticize. Jesus taught that it is easy to stand on the sidelines and be a critic, pointing your fingers at people and saying, "They're not doing it the right way."

But Jesus doesn't want us to sit on the sidelines. He wants us to jump into the game and bring our gifts, our skills. He wants you to use your unique and special self — your personality, your talents — to serve Him. He made you.

The best way to grow closer to God is not by watching and complaining, but by trying and doing. There's more wisdom in trying and failing than in sitting in judgment.

God didn't sit on the sidelines. He came down into our messy world to help us.

Blessings, friends.