“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Never before has a generation been bombarded on all sides with pressures more than today’s generation. That’s you and me, sister! There is a pressure surrounding everything we do — from what career path you choose, to how you dress, to what you stand for. There are pressures to conform who we really are, pressures to be politically correct, and pressures to bend here a little and there a little.
The accessibility of social media has only amplified the intensity of comparison and will sometimes magnify our focus on what we lack and what we are not. We can easily get caught up in the comparison game of those perfect squares before our eyes.
We truly have to fight against these pressures to keep what makes us true originals and not faded copies.
Romans 12:2 KJV: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
I am certain that we all have a God-given purpose, and you cannot allow your thoughts and your mind to get in the way of that being fulfilled. We have to renew our minds and keep God’s will fresh in our thoughts.
Over time, a copy will begin to disintegrate, fade, and eventually, crumble. It is after all just a copy, and not the real thing. A true original will hold its true colors and retain its shape even if it is battered, since it is made of a stronger substance.
Jesus has chosen you from the beginning to be the real deal, so don’t waste any time trying to be a copy of something else! If we focus on keeping God’s love readily available and are quick to share it with those around us, we will be showing the original love of Christ everywhere we go.
