Be Yourself

Daily Devotional – Sunday, April 30, 2023
For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
1 Corinthians 7:7 (NKJV)

John Mason wrote this famous statement: “You were born an original; don’t die a copy.” It is true that we all come from Adam. However, none of us is 100% similar to the other. We are all unique human beings. Therefore, one of the best favours you can do to yourself and to the world is to be yourself.

Uniqueness in Nature

Think of it this way. Identical twins do not share fingerprints. To our naked eyes, these two individuals are inseparable. We even confuse them until we have spent enough time with them to differentiate them from their mannerisms and other idiosyncrasies. Did you know that no zebra has the same pattern of stripes as another?

God values diversity. He did not clone us but ensured each of us was a unique being with a distinctive set of gifts. We see the same in nature. Sometimes, the same type of plant has a variety of colours on its leaves, flowers, and fruits.

Each One Has His Own Gift

God’s love for diversity must have been in Paul’s mind when he wrote, “For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.” (1 Corinthians 7:7).

Paul appreciated the gifts God had given him. He was an evangelist, a teacher, and an author. Many Christians admired him and probably wanted to be like him. From this verse, we get a feeling that he also would have wanted to have many other ‘Pauls’ in terms of spiritual gifts.

Nobody Else Like You

However, the apostle acknowledged that every believer was endowed differently. In His wisdom, God had not given the same set of gifts or talents to all human beings. Imagine if every human being looked and behaved exactly as you do. How exciting would the world be?

Why do we want to be like others in terms of physique, talking, singing, preaching, dressing, and so on? Would it not be better if we appreciated God’s unique gifts in our lives and used them to serve God and our fellow men? What joy is there in being a copycat?

Be Yourself!

Take a moment today to appreciate your uniqueness. Realize that God made you exclusive for a reason. Instead of envying or idolizing others for their gifts and individualities, ask yourself how you can exploit your gifts as a way of thanking God for His wisdom in creating you so beautifully and wonderfully. Be yourself!

Prayer
Dear Father, thank You because I am a unique being. Help me to identify my gifts and to utilize them to the glory of Your Name.