Different 

By Lisa R. Jackson

When I was growing up and allowed to watch television, I enjoyed educational programming. Of course, back then I didn’t realize I was learning from the shows because the songs, cartoons, and games kept me entertained. There was always one game in particular that I remember to this day. The TV screen would display four brightly colored boxes with one item in each. A familiar lil’ jingle played as I sang and bopped to the instructions. I can’t recall whether I liked the activity more for the song or because I wanted to “win”. The object of the game was to guess which item did not belong with the other three. After the first round, the screen would show the four boxes again but this time there was one kid in each box. Each child would do something like kick a ball or jump up and down but there was always one that would do something that the other three weren’t doing. (Cue music...)

Three of these kids belong together

Three of these kids are kind of the same

But one of these kids is doing his (her) own thing

Now it’s time to play our game

It’s time to play our game.

  It didn’t matter who the kids were or what they were wearing, my eyes always focused on the “odd” child-the one doing something nothing like the others.

In a world where everyone & everything looks similar, wouldn’t it be nice to stand out, to be different?

No two people on earth were created the same, yet we live in an environment where carbon copies are manufactured everyday. Fashion is imitative; image is duplicated; even our speech is clichéd. Not only is this reproduction a bit boring but it can also become dangerous when we as believers in Jesus can’t be distinguished from the people we are supposed to reach.

According to the Word of God, we were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) meaning we are distinct and unlike anyone else. As a child of God you are different. Have we forgotten who we are or have we just been too occupied with taking the world’s methods, slapping a Jesus label on them and presenting that as acceptable in an effort to blend in?

Being different will cause you to STAND OUT; BE NOTICED and RECEIVE GOD’S FAVOR.

Ø       People noticed Noah. It would be hard not to identify someone building an ark of such mass proportion in a land that never saw rain.  No matter what the public opinion was Noah was obedient to God & found grace in His eyes. For that, he along with his family was spared from the flood.

God uses people who possess a different spirit.

Ø       Remember Caleb? God certainly did. Because of his ‘different spirit’ and zeal to follow the Lord wholly, Caleb was brought into the land of promise along with his descendants. He was one of twelve leaders sent to spy out the land of Canaan who returned with a good report.  

From cover to cover, the Bible shares the real-life events of men and women who were willing to be unlike everybody else. They did the extra-ordinary and lived the lives to prove it. I believe our names can be added to that list. We can join the group of bold & fearless people of great character who were ready to stand out in the world while standing up for God. Let’s be light in the midst of darkness, Salt to those who are feasting on the devil’s desserts, Peace and calm in unstable surroundings and Joy to others when all hope seems gone. We can do this! Be as unique as God has made you to be. To quote the title of a book written by John L. Mason “You’re an original, don’t die a copy.” Live a life worthy of attracting the worlds attention-then you can direct them to the One who chose you to be different!

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, His very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. – 1 Peter 2:9, New Living Translation