Just Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Taken!

I borrowed a favorite original quote of my son's for the title of this blog post. I think it's a good one.

Be yourself, everyone else is taken.....that's pretty true, isn't it?

I've read a lot of comments lately on Facebook giving thanks for different ones and it's a good thing. We all need affirmation from time to time. I'm thankful for everyone. Everyone has a place. We need to learn that and honor that.

We also need....and this is the focus of this blog post....to learn to love ourselves. When the LORD commanded us to love, he meant everyone, and that includes us. 

King David(who was also a mighty prophet of the LORD) said in Psalm 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

I've heard it said often that GOD doesn't make junk! So, we need to quit treating ourselves like junk. We are special to GOD and HE loves us so much that HE is willing to chastise and scold us to help us make it. We as parents and grandparents have to scold our children and grandchildren at times, it certainly doesn't mean that we don't love them for who they are.

I'm thankful that GOD allows us to be individuals, we are not all cut from the same mold. We all have different personalities, some people are introverts, some are extroverts. We should never say that one is better than the other, just because someone's personality doesn't fit our mold. 

Our pastor tells us often, "don't think of yourselves as better than others, but don't think of yourselves as worse either."

GOD created some to be leaders, some to be followers. It's just HIS way. It takes all kinds. 

I'm so glad that I have finally realized that GOD made me just like I am and who I am and it's up to me to use how HE made me for HIM. Take what HE gave you and use it for HIM. If HE gave you a boldness, then use it for HIM. That's why HE designed you the way HE did. There are many ministries and different personalities are designed for different ones. 

There are many jobs in the KINGDOM of GOD and HE has called many to work in HIS KINGDOM. There is one KING on the THRONE and HIS name is JESUS. If we try to take HIS GLORY, then HE will surely put us in our place and get us out of HIS place. One of the reasons I have fought insecurities in my life is that I have thought that I had to be just like others or to be what others thought I should be. 

I don't and you don't. 

You have to be what GOD designed you to be. We do a grave injustice to family and friends when we compare them to others and say, "you should be more like so and so." 

Like the old song says, "no, no, a thousand times no."

 You should be who GOD made YOU! Just be the best you that you can be for GOD, seek HIM and HIS attributes. HE made you an individual, now go be the best one you can be for HIM! Years of being treated like you're not a good person or being told you don't measure up will take away who you are until you no longer know yourself. Don't allow this to happen and don't do it to anyone else!

What a boring world this would be if we were all little dolls made just alike! Isn't GOD so awesome to make us all so interesting and diverse? Let's let GOD be GOD and let HIS children be themselves. Please let's stop trying to fit everyone into the same mold. We'll all be much happier if we're allowed to just be ourselves! I for one have determined to just be Patti....that's the only one I can be.

Now, let me clarify something. 

I'm not talking about not becoming like HIM...that goes without saying. We should lose ourselves IN HIM. I know that sounds contradictory, but it isn't. Paul was still Paul, but after he was converted on the road to Damascus, he spent three years in the wilderness with GOD, learning first hand how to be what he needed to be for the KINGDOM of GOD. Did he try to fashion himself after Peter or John? No. He fashioned himself after GOD. He allowed GOD to use him as Paul, because that's who he was.

If we're not careful, we decide that people don't like us for ourselves and so we try to become the person that others want us to be. The problem with that is, there are a lot of people in our lives and they don't all see things the same way. You'll end up with multiple personalities if you're not careful....you'll suffer from spiritual schizophrenia.

If we're not careful, we do this to others also, especially those of our own households. We need to help our children and grandchildren understand that GOD made them who they are, train them in the ways of GOD, and let their little spirits be molded to HIS ways. If we constantly say things like, "why can't you be like so and so? They're so calm or they're so focused. " Or maybe it's the opposite, we may ask, "why can't you show a little interest or life sometimes like so and so." 

NEWS FLASH!

They're not so and so, and neither are you and neither am I. Don't take away who they are and don't let yourself take away who you are either. Learn to love yourself.

Another clarification....I'm not saying love yourself in your sin. We're commanded to come out of sin, this post is not an excuse to say, "well, that's just who I am, I can't help myself."

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

As long as you can show forth these attributes and still be yourself, you're ok in my book and I think in GOD's book also.

Go forth and believe in yourselves like never before, GOD can never use you in the capacity that HE desires until you obey HIS commandments and one of those is to love....even yourself!

In HIM.....

patti