Be Who You Are And No One Else

28 Apr

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln

We play the comparison games from the time we are old enough to communicate with the world.  Little children around the table will compare what they have on their plate with what their siblings and parents have.  If they perceive themselves as having less, they want more.  As we grow, we compare ourselves to our classmates and friends in terms of height, strength, athletic abilities, musical talent, and a whole host of other things.

The comparisons continue into adulthood as we compare our salaries to those of our co-workers, the size of our homes to those of our neighbors, and the amount in our retirement chest to that of others.  We simply cannot seem to get past the need to be seen as better than others.

The only person we should attempt to best is ourselves.  We should want to be kinder each day, holier each day, and more like Jesus each day.  We should be happy with who we are, knowing that God made us and that He dwells within us.  When we see something in another that we do not have, we should not be envious.  Instead, we should celebrate the uniqueness that is the other person just as they should celebrate the uniqueness that is us.

The sooner we can get away from the “need” to be better than everybody else, the sooner we will accept ourselves for who we are.  When we feel that we need to be something else, we are not accepting the person that we are.  God had a plan for us, He created us exactly as we are, and it is up to us to suss out the plan that God has in store for us.

FAITH ACTION:  Thank the Lord for the gift of who you are and ask Him to give you the grace to live fully thus reflecting His love.