The beauty of being misunderstood

“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.” Jeremiah 1:4-5

I think it's funny, sometimes, how many of us say we want to be unique, but in reality, we don't really act like it. We want to stand out as the one who thinks differently, acts differently, dresses differently, and lives differently, but when we think about it, do we?

The truth is, as much as we say we want to be different, being different is hard. Being the "odd man out" or the unique one in the family or friend group can feel isolating, and no one likes feeling misunderstood. The good thing about not being different is that you are surrounded by people who can validate your opinions and where you are in life because, well, they're there too.

It's fun to go through similar seasons of life together and it's comforting to know that your work and opinions are going to be understood and agreed upon. While it's not necessarily unique, it's validating.

But the truth is, I find that when we try to be like everyone else (because we believe it's what we should be doing) this sets us up for discontentment, anxiety, and an identity crisis.

Just because certain careers get more praise than others does not mean you should go into them when you were made to excel at something else (we need all kinds of people in the world). Just because your friends are going to college does not necessarily mean you should-- maybe you were created to go into a career that does not require a college education. Just because your peers are becoming spouses and parents, this is not an indicator that you need to be right now-- if it's part of God's plan for you, trust Him, it will happen at the right time and with the right one.

Trying to be like everyone else, just to be liked by everyone else, comes with its consequences. We don't learn or embrace who we really are, what we like, and what we're good at, and we don't trust the perfect, unique plan that God has for us.

God made all of us unique. Even identical twins have drastically different DNA. So if there's truly only one you in the world (and that's all there's ever going to be) why not love and embrace who God made you to be? He made you the way that you are for a purpose.

He intentionally made you in His own image (Genesis 1:27) and wrote a beautiful plan for your life. So what if you hit milestones earlier or later than your peers? So what if you're either studying or embarking on a career that others aren't impressed by? There is no correct timeline for life, and society does not determine what is deemed successful and what isn't.

Paul said in Galatians 1:10, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, church, or social media do not determine what your worth and value are, only God can do that, and when Jesus died on the cross He determined your permanent worth to be priceless.

Don't worry about the peer pressures and temptations that others put on you. Sometimes I wonder if people behave this way because they need to validate their own lives. The more people they can get to be like them, the better they feel. But don't lose yourself by accommodating others when it goes against what you know and believe.

They may leave you out, or even speak poorly about you behind your back, but God sees and hears-- you don't need to worry about that. You were placed on this earth to please Him, not others.

So if your unique life or personality is making you feel misunderstood, take heart. God did not make a mistake when He created you. He has a special purpose for you that can only be achieved by someone who appears different- like you. He has a beautiful plan for you, and you are not wrong, incomplete, or behind in life. You are exactly where He wants and needs you to be.

And consider this, those who made a difference in the world didn't do so by being like everybody else. It's because they were different and stood out that people noticed and admired them... even quietly from afar.