There is a famous phrase that goes "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?". It is one of my most favorite sayings and helps me remind myself of the importance of individuality. Individuality is something that I know we all struggle with. It is ingrained in us from a very young age to fit in. The kids who are different are bullied on the playground. When we reach middle school, we start developing cliques and the word "popular" comes to the surface. It continues on into high school and even after, despite the fact that we think we are over that stage in our lives.
The very same idea of fitting in goes with a life following Christ. In Romans 12:2 it talks about how we as Christians are in the world and not of it. Sometimes, I know it can feel like that doesn't hold very true. Sometimes, I know it feels like we have gotten sucked up into the worries, ways, and beliefs of the world and we lose our sense of self. I've been there so many times, that if it were a diner, the servers would know my order by heart and have it ready for me when I walk in the door. The point is, we all lose focus and direction and need to reroute to get back on track.
What I want you guys to know, is that no matter how many times we get lost in the race of life. No matter how many wrong turns we take, how many pit stops we take, how many times we have to ask for help, our destination doesn't change. To bring it back to the cliche high school movies, our goal is not to fit in. Our goal is not to win that popularity contest. Our goal is so different and so wonderful! While others are in a competition to be the top dog, our job is to love the underdog......and the top dog. When we are tempted to cut someone down to look better in front of others, our job is to remind ourselves that we are made to be humble and kind. When everyone imitates the Queen B longing so much to be like her and to gain her approval, we are meant to be the "odd ones out" because it is not the Queen B's approval that we seek.
Matthew 5:16 says we are supposed to shine our light for others to see. We are not meant to get lost in the crowd, but rather to lead others away from the crowd. If this were high school, we'd be the rebels. We'd be the game changers. The cool thing is, we're not all in high school. The crummy thing is, we still feel that pressure to fit in. The cooler thing is, even though we feel that pressure to fit in, we know that God wants us to stand out. The coolest thing is, if we come to God and seek Him with all of our hearts, He will give us the strength, courage, and confidence to be bold and stand out. How cool is that? So what do you say? Are we going to be bold?
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