Ok I’m about to date myself. When I was in middle school the coolest thing you could have was a “Nike Jacket”. All the kids wanted one. What it amounted to was a thin windbreaker, brightly colored, with a Nike swoosh on the left chest. If you had one you were somebody.
I wanted one so bad. I practically begged my mama for one. I would do work around the house to help out. I would do things without being asked just so she would spend the money to get me one. I’ll never forget it, it was pink, black and white. I finally had my jacket, I was finally going to fit in.
I tell you about the jacket to tell you about me. I didn’t want that jacket because I needed it. My mama paid more for that windbreaker than she had nearly any winter coat I had ever owned. In all honesty I wore that jacket about four times, after that I would let other people wear it, and finally gave it to a friend of mine because they wanted it worse than me.
I wanted that jacket so I could fit in. I wanted it because I was concerned about what other people thought. I wanted it because I was concerned about how I was going to be labeled. I was worried about the Who everyone could see and not the Who I am on the inside. One of my best friends says “Reputation is who people think you are, character is who you actually are”. That hit me hard.
How many times have you tried to be someone to impress people? How many of us have changed who we are to fit in with others? How many of us have given up who we are to try to fit into the mold of what someone else wanted?
I sit and ponder that often. I think about the amount of times I have changed myself to fit in. I have countless times given of myself trying to be everything to everyone, worried about my reputation and not my character, worried about what this world thinks not taking into consideration that the creator of the universe thinks I was perfectly made.
As the things of this world fade let us not worry about what people see, let us not worry about what they think, let us not trouble ourselves with the Who. God created us to be individuals, to be strong, to stand out, to be different, with a purpose that was given to us and no one else. Remember if you don’t do what God has created you to do then it won’t get done. You are perfect don’t worry about the Who.
I love you.
bradglenn79 