You are Unique to God—Like Everybody Else

The winter blast that blanketed America still managed to leave us Texans without much snow. Conditions rarely allow for it. A snowflake forms by a sudden freezing of water vapor in the air that turns from gas to solid so quickly it doesn’t have time to turn to liquid first.

The result is awesome!

(Photo by Photodune)

A tiny six-rayed crystal displays the order, beauty, and uniqueness of God’s creative power. Even in a light snowfall (which is all that occurs in Texas), millions upon millions of delicate and unique snowflakes float down.

The snowflake illustrates how God created different things in the same way but still allows them to be completely unique.

That’s a lot like you, by the way.

You are Unique— Like Everybody Else

God the Father chose each believer, before the foundation of the world, to be made anew the same way—by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins.

Yet even with this common redemption, each person is a one-of-a kind, unique individual, created for a unique purpose. You are unique to God: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” —1 Corinthians 12:7

Too often, however, we see these unique differences as a threat.

The Danger in Our Differences

Remember the song the ladies of Israel sang which infuriated King Saul?

“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David (1 Samuel 18:7–9).

Saul was jealous of how God had gifted David. In fact, Saul considered David’s success a personal threat. The Apostle Paul wrote about this kind of comparison:

When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. —2 Corinthians 10:12

3 Courageous Questions

When comparing someone else’s gifts, abilities, and successes causes a jealousy to rise in your heart, ask yourself 3 questions:

1. Am I bothered by someone else’s abilities or rather by the affirmation they receive?
2. Why do I feel rejected when those I respect affirm someone else?
3. Does another person’s success have to represent my failure?

It takes courage to answer these honestly. It also takes courage to retrain our brains and think better.

(Photo by Dick Mudde, own work. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Enjoy the Freedom—You are Unique

Like snow, God made us as individuals. He never intended to clone Christians. You are unique.

Even His plan to shape us into the image of His beloved Son includes a marvelous diversity in the body of Christ. But He also intended that we work together to accomplish something much greater and more beautiful than we ever could on our own.

Two truths emerge :

1. When we view someone else’s abilities as a threat to our own, we miss the benefit God intended us to reap from their uniqueness.
2. When we try to impersonate a gift we lack, we hold back from others the greatest benefit we can contribute to them—our uniqueness.

Instead of stewing in comparisons, allow yourself the freedom to serve for God’s glory with your distinctive contribution to His plan.

You are unique. Glorify God by being yourself.

Tell me what you think: How has God made you unique? To leave a comment, just click here.