Be Who God Intended ...

The other day I was skimming through the comments on a particularly popular blog and came across one where the reader said the following (paraphrasing):

I think she's funny, but the only thing I think about when I read her site is that I want to BE her. I want to marry her husband because I think I love him just as much as she does. I want her baby who is so precious. I think our similar height makes us very much alike. I want to live in the state she does. I think I need to take a break from reading before I start answering to her name.

I realize that the author of this comment intended it to be a humorous compliment. But, the comment got me to thinking. How many of us have ever wished we were someone else?

I'm not always happy with myself, my thoughts or my health. A few times in the past couple of years I've wished I could rip out my hormones and replace them with happy, shiny ones. There are things that I struggle with that I wouldn't wish on anyone else. However, I can honestly say that I've never wished I could BE someone else.

Then I thought, why would someone want to be someone else? Is their life difficult beyond words? Is their self-esteem so very low? Where are they at emotionally? Have they lost all hope of being themselves?

Each of us are unique. God made us that way. If he wanted us to be clones of each other, I think he would have made us that way. I firmly believe that each have something special, a gift, inside of us. Maybe similar to someone else, but with a twist.

Maybe the gift is to inspire others. Maybe it's an ability to give hope or joy, whether it's through writing, music, words or even your smile. Perhaps your gift is being an organizer, a highly paid executive, a leader, a preacher, a teacher, a mom, a good wife or maybe your gift is that of being compassionate. To be truly happy in our own skins, we need to find our own gift, not wish to be someone else so we can have their gifts. You don't know what they had to experience to have their gifts.

Do I feel it's okay to admire someone? To learn from someone else's experience? To aspire to attain certain characteristics? Absolutely! But, I believe there is a distinction between admiration and coveting. Admiration inspires, coveting compares. I've learned that if I compare myself to someone else, I will find myself sorely lacking. Which in turn feeds negative emotions. Which in turn stops my own personal growth.

So many people get caught up in the superficiality of beauty or possessions and either forget or don't realize that "forever" happiness comes from inside our souls. Temporary happiness comes from outside sources.

I guess my point is, do not underestimate who you are INSIDE. Your character. To do so is to underestimate our God.

1 Corinthians 2:7^(MSG) -- God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest--what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene.