Here is a familiar verse that every Christian has probably heard or read: Genesis 1:27. It reads, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God, He created them."
Whenever I hear this verse, I gradually think of all the close people I associated myself with. We are all made in His image and I very much enjoy thinking about all the little treasures and gifts that God has put uniquely in each and every one of us. Often at times I appreciate what we we are but at other times I have to gather myself and ask "Why God? Why do we act in such specific and particular ways?" Every individual is different. Everyone has different tastes, preferences and habits. Why are we all so unique?
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God has created many different personalities inside each person He created in His image, which I have hard time understanding. It's hard to imagine a world where we are all the same, but it's equally hard to imagine that God made them all, every personality known to man; that one body could harness all that personality in His own two hands. At school, I was known for being the loud and obnoxious kid, irritating many of my classmates. I would be the child that you wouldn't want to sit behind in class and I can't imagine God making a person like me with all my quirks, but He did.
But this is what makes God unique, He has given us many different attributes to make us the persons we are. We are God's masterpiece and we have to accept that we are. We have to accept that we are, in fact, a work of art.
There is another famous verse that comes from Psalms 139:14. It says "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
God made you exactly how and what He wanted you to be. You are part of something beautiful, a wonderfully made body of Christ, and you are perfect in His eyes. He knows everything about you and wants you to stay true to yourself. We each have our own special calling, designed perfectly to fit who we were created to be.
Though we may be stuck with our own styles and differences, we all fit somewhere in the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes "If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?"
The same goes for our personalities and tastes. If everyone were to like the same things and do the same routines, how could we work together? How would we grow and learn as a body of Christ? We are all different, but we all should be. God is a very creative God and He worked hard on the little details of your identity. Embrace every corner of your qualities that make you, you.
In preparation of transferring to Point Loma University, I had to take a strength test to determine my top five strengths defined by Clifton StrengthsFinder. My top five strengths were "Includer" (makes effort to include people in a group), "Focus" (stays on track and follows directions), "Discipline" (enjoys routine and structure), "Achiever" (works hard) and "Competition" (striving to to be first place). I was very happy with my results and I realized that these attributes are really my top strengths. Even if I can be loud and obnoxious sometimes, God allows me to use that to benefit my leadership roles and draws me closer to His calling on my life.
So as we enter into this school year, be His image. Become who God wanted you to be. Everyone is made differently. You are a vital piece to this world. Your speciality is a blessing to the world and life is more beautiful because you are in it. As the famous saying goes, "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."
