"...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
I used to be so insecure; I didn’t feel like I personally had anything to offer to anyone so I sought to be like anyone else. I spent so long trying to conform to the standards of others. Always trying to fit in and feel like I belong, being jealous of what others have or can do. To do this however, is to discredit God, to say that he didn’t do a good enough job creating me, that He should give me more. God didn’t mean for us to be the same, He created us to all be different, with diverse abilities and dissimilar purposes. Romans 12:6 says “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us.” In my pursuit of conformity I was giving up what God gave me, I was denying my God given purpose in favor of someone else. I was ineffective in my pursuits because I was trying to use abilities not given to me to fulfill a purpose that wasn’t mine.
1 Peter 4:10 says “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. We are called to use our own gifts nowhere does the bible say that we should try to use the gifts of others. This passage also makes another important point, our gifts are not for our sole benefit, they are meant to be used in the service of others as a demonstration of God’s grace. The purpose of our gifts is the same, serving others, but in different ways and different capacities.
Can I claim total victory in this area? No, no one can claim total victory; we all covet something or someone’s ability at some time or another. Realizing we are struggling and confronting our struggles is the first step, if we never realize that we need change, we will never change. Once we confront our struggle with jealousy, with desires of conformity or with coveting we can take it to God and begin to work on letting it go and giving it to God. Matthew 11:28-29 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus calls us to give our burdens to Him, He promises to take them from us and give us rest in Him. Trust in Him and no struggle will be overwhelming, no burden too heavy. In Jesus I have faith, I have hope, I have love and I have rest.
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