A friend posted this on social media recently and I laughed, but it got me thinking. “Someone called me normal today. I have never been so insulted in all my life.” It reminded me of a line from the old Saturday Night Live TV show (when it was still funny). “I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific.”
You and I are one-of-a-kind originals. Now that science has indexed the human genome, we can see how unique we really are. Even identical twins who share the same DNA have different fingerprints. Why would we ever want to sacrifice our uniqueness in order to “fit in”? Templates work for documents, but not for people. There will never be a stereotype that comfortably fits any individual. I love the way the Phillips translation of Romans 12:2 describes it. “Don’t let this world squeeze you into its own mold.”
The biggest trap we fall into is comparing ourselves to other people. If the grass on the other side of the fence looks so perfect, it is probably Astroturf. Life, even the Christian life, is not a competition. Every Christian I know, including me, is heading in the same direction with each of us in our own lane and traveling at our own pace. God knows our unique qualities and he has a different plan for each of us. We truly enjoy the fellowship we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are each the special person God created us to be.
There is nothing like the peace of mind when you are comfortable with who you are and the only approval you need is from the Holy Spirit dwelling within you; and the only person to compare yourself with is the person you were yesterday. I praise God every day that I am special in His sight and that I continue to become the person He created me to be.