02.18.10
It Takes All Kinds
All my life, I tried to fit in. As a child, I tried to find my “fit” in my family. In school, I played sports, drank beer, grew my hair long — it was the 60s for goodness sake — all in an attempt to find a spot, a niche, a place of acceptance.
That’s also why I was baptized and joined the church at age nine. It wasn’t until I was 18 that I realized my need for Christ as my Savior and really submitted to Him. At age 20, I felt God’s call to vocational ministry. YET, I was still trying to find a way to fit. It was a decades-long , desperate search for acceptance.
There are many who, like me, are searching for truth, answers, meaning in life, and acceptance. Some turn to social organizations, some lean toward criminal gangs. Many turn to the church hoping to find acceptance, encouragement, and love. Unfortunately, subtle demands for uniformity have infilitrated the church. “Come to Jesus just as you are,” we say. But then we attempt to remake new believers in our own image.
Perhaps that’s why I felt so uncomfortable in ministry for so many years. I had been trying to fit in rather than being myself. But then, one glorious day, the psalmist reminded me of the unique stamp God had placed on my live when He formed me over 56 years. I am “fearfully and wonderfully made” according to Psalm 139:14. And the same is true of you. God Himself formed you in your mother’s womb. He created you to be remarkable and unique. AND, before you ever drew a breath, all of your days were written in His book and planned. In other words, He created YOU for a purpose. You’ll never find that purpose trying to be someone you’re not.
The apostle Paul reminds us that it takes all kinds of unique individuals working together to be effective as the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12). Essentially, God has said to me, “Zane, it’s OK to be yourself. That’s how I made you.” My prayer and hope is that I can be as gracious to others as God is to me. Our differences in appearance, abilities, experiences, giftedness, and methods are one of God’s ways of reminding us that we need each other if we are to function most effectively as the Body of Christ.
Accept yourself as Christ accepts you. Let Him bring about the changes that are necessary to give your life meaning. Remember that He created you with a purpose in mind and when you begin to live out that purpose, you will fulfill YOUR role in the Body of Christ.
