Over the last couple of months, I’ve been talking about change. Change can be difficult, it can be good, etc. I’d like to take a moment now to express that some changes aren’t good. The Bible teaches us in the book of Genesis that mankind was created in God’s image, both male and female. Later God spoke to Jeremiah and said in Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”(NIV) These concepts teach us that God is greatly concerned about each of us and He fashioned each of us in a very unique and special way. For the prophet Jeremiah, God made him a distinct way for the ministry he was to have. If you think about it, even identical twins aren’t really identical, each is fashioned uniquely by God.
Unfortunately, today’s culture is filled with people seeking change because they don’t like the way they are or the situation that they are in. I think the mentality in society adds to that. Many around us just aren’t happy. Many seek happiness from the transitory pleasures of this world and their unsatisfying philosophies that accompany them. It’s one thing to get corrective surgery to look younger, or to see better, to correct a deformity, or to improve our health, but it’s another thing to go to drastic measures because we don’t like the way we are or we don’t like our situation. People change spouses, jobs, friendships, etc. because of dissatisfaction or feeling incomplete. We are “trying to find ourselves” we might say. But perhaps we need to stop and ask ourselves, “How did God make me?” “What did He make me to be or to do?”
Romans 12:12-26 gives us a picture that the church, the body of Christ, is a marvelous thing made up of many unique aspects. Each part of the body is unique and necessary. Even though we may have 2 hands, each of them is different. Even though we have 10 toes, each of them is different. Even though we have 2 eyes each of them is different and important. And yet sometimes we compare ourselves to others and say we don’t fit in because we aren’t like other people. The Bible teaches us that we aren’t supposed be like others and yet we still are a part of the same body of Christ. And God has fit us into His church just the way He wanted. Romans 12:18 “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”
In my toolbox, I have a screwdriver that’s not as long as it used to be. You see, one day I decided to use the screwdriver as a chisel and all I did was drive the screwdriver shaft into the handle. I should have appreciated how the screwdriver was made instead of changing its purpose. Each of us is not only uniquely made but also uniquely placed in the church. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I want you to know that God made you unique and special. If you are looking for a place where you “fit,” look to Jesus who made you. He has purpose and meaning for your life. Instead of looking for change embrace how God has made you.
A final thought. Romans 12 goes on to say that weaker and less pretty parts of the body of Christ are indispensable to the church and are to be given more honor. No matter how you view yourself, God views you as special, indispensable, and one of his valuable creations. Embrace Jesus and how He made you. Don’t change yourself into something He didn’t create you to be. You are deeply loved by Him, His church, and by me.
Pastor Steve
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