Allowing Yourself to Be Unlike Any Other in a Peer-Pressure World
By: Lia Girard
Bible Reading:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
- 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why me, God?” or possibly, “Why not me, God?” You’re surely not alone, as we live in a world that’s often choking on comparison. Everywhere we turn, we hear and see messages about improving, doing better, letting go of things that aren't correct, picking up more correct things, developing new habits, buying the latest self-improvement tool, and so on.
This pervasive peer pressure—to follow someone else’s plan—can feel clamorous, confusing, and heavy. Which is why it’s worth reminding yourself of scripture that says you’re divinely designed, with holy intention, to be different. You and I are each here to serve our one-of-a-kind purpose. Tuck this in your heart: 2 Timothy 1:7 proclaims that God gave you a spirit of power and love, not a spirit of fear. So when you’re afraid you just don’t measure up to others, you’re choosing to ignore your God-given spirit.
To counteract this fear, I need to revisit 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 these days. This is because after a recent series of health struggles (although I eat clean and stay quite active), I made the difficult decision to step down from a high-stress, high-performance, full-time career and return to freelancing. My entire being was begging me to gather my senses. I needed to discern what I’m drawn to and what I’m made for.
I’d been laboring on a large, powerhouse team of creatives, relentlessly required to achieve unachievable metrics. It pushed me onto a path of continual self-criticism and overwhelm. I pressured myself against the make-believe standard that my career accomplishments represented my value before God. I was enmeshed in the corporate peer pressure and convinced myself that I owed “success” to my past, my spouse, and my children.
That was all until I was forced to start asking God what success looked like in his eyes.
Of course, I understand we all need to make a living, but spending your life as someone you’re not... is unlikely to be what God has in mind for you. That’s why it’s so refreshing to revisit Paul's truth in 1 Corinthians 12—that we are all created by the same creator, with a singularly original design. God himself purposely fills each of us with unique longings and gifts. What an honor it is to receive this! Just read Psalm 139, and you’ll know that God created a masterpiece when he knit you together in your mother’s womb.
What I feel Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 12 is that instead of complaining about what you can or can't do, you could discover and celebrate your handcrafted role in God's overall plan. Even while there's constant peer pressure to wear the latest fashion, drive a better car, live a certain lifestyle, achieve a specific status ... you can, and should, still be you.
All of us collectively are God's garden of life, and I can't imagine any garden with only one type of flower. God is continually revealing that every living thing is made by him with intention and balanced by him for the common good.
So, let me reassure you today: when you stay in communication with the one who made you to be unlike any other, you can feel good about living a life that looks like you.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
When you think about peer pressure to achieve or adapt in ways that don’t feel right to you, consider these suggestions:
- Pray for God to reveal what feels good and fulfilling and well-suited to you
- Start a bucket list of one new thing you’d like to try each week
- Write down a scripture verse that feels affirming and calming to you (not what someone else tells you to write down), and tape it to your mirror
Further Reading:
Galatians 1:10
1 Peter 2:9
Psalm 139:13-14
How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/elisa-ph
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