Embrace Your Uniqueness

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. ~ Galatians 6:4 (NLT)

In our world, it is very common for us to compare ourselves to someone else. For example, I wish I could preach as well as Randy Roberts, Mark Finley, or Louie Giglio. I wish I could write as well as authors Max Lucado, Lee Strobel, or even Ellen White. I wish I could conduct evangelistic campaigns like Billy Graham. All of these are fine preachers who get lots of kudos for their God-given abilities. They have prestige. Their words carry weight with millions of people around the world. Why wouldn’t I want their abilities?

Yet, comparison is not actually born out of the Kingdom of God. I believe that the desire to compare ourselves to one another is part of our sinful nature. Nothing good can come out of wishing we were like someone else. In fact, one could easily argue that it breaks commandment number 10, “Don’t covet.” You see, coveting isn’t just about wishing we had someone else’s possessions. It can also be about coveting someone else’s personality, charisma, intelligence, abilities, and a myriad of other character traits.

Instead, God tells us that we are all uniquely made, with our own special abilities, personalities, and quirks. We are to work within the life that God has provided for us, not desire someone else’s. He made us to be, well, us. He has a plan for each of our lives.

When we try to become something that we are not, our lives can quickly spiral out of control. Life becomes all about us, rather than about serving others. It becomes about what we want, and how we are going to achieve it. The Apostle Paul warns against this philosophy in our verse today. “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”

Work hard to thrive in the life that God has given you at this very moment. Let Him worry about where it is going, how it will grow, and how He will use you. Let Him lead you. Let Him show you how to serve and use the abilities and personality He has given to you. Thrive where He has planted you. Your satisfaction with life will prosper and your faith in who God made you to be will grow stronger.