This Odd Life.

“Did you hear what she did?”I stand there, anxious.“She is so pathetic. Why would she do that?!”I try to gather my thoughts and speak up.“Can you believe that?!”I’m silent.I’ve found myself in this situation many times, and usually I ignore it. I tell myself, “It would be awkward,” and, “I’m not the one gossiping so it’s all good, right?” But here’s the thing guys: God calls us to live a different life. He calls us to be set apart. He calls us to focus our eyes on who He is and what He’s called us to. “Do not conform to the standards of this world” (Romans 12:2).”You have been set apart and chosen for His purpose” (Deuteronomy 14:2).The world says we need to fit in. It tells us that being different is frowned upon. God says you are my daughter. I chose you. I made you unique so that you could fulfill a unique purpose for My glory. The tricky thing is that it is easier to be like everybody else. As humans we desire earthly things and conformity. Our natural instinct is to want to be exactly like the people beside us. Here’s the amazing thing about our Father: He works miracles in light of our insecurities.So as we are telling ourselves that if we speak up it would be odd, the Lord says, “Ok. So what?”So what?What are we waiting for?! We’re not supposed to look like the world. We’re supposed to stand out. We’re supposed to look different.God never promised life with Him would be easy, but He promises it will always be good. We expect there to be these perfectly set up moments for us to act in a way that honors God, but the truth is these are the perfect moments. They are God-given opportunities, little moments for us to act differently, little moments for us to declare whose we are, little moments to embrace our calling. We need to speak up. We have the Holy Spirit. We have the capability burning inside of us like a divine furnace. It will be awkward, I guarantee. And instead of dwelling in the pit of our insecurities, we can speak up, knowing the Lord is lifting our heads and saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”I have waited so long for the perfect moment. If only I looked up sooner. I think it’s important to know that setting ourselves apart from worldly temptations guarantees some anxiety and fear. But that’s okay. Some of the greatest people in the Bible lived lives marked by anxiety and fear. God loves to use people who are struggling. His power is made perfect in our weakness. It’s from this point that we can push forward and know that it is ok to! God works miracles in light of our insecurities.words by Samantha Burton and photo by Sara Beth PritchardSaveSave