BE YOU

Someone else’s life isn’t for you

It is the truth that life isn’t fair and it is also true that life is beautiful. Growing up for me wasn’t fair, I had parents but it didn’t seem like I did. I started living independently since the age of 15. I went through the hustle and tussle of life, accepting whatever life threw at me and hoping that time passes away quickly. Every time I come across someone that is doing much better than I am, I begin to wish I was that person. I noticed there is this feeling of emptiness any time I wish to be someone or something I am not; even the hopes I think I have dies at that point in time.

I could recall a scenario of a girl I envied, who to me had it all and whose life I believe was perfect. I just wanted to be her. Then, one day on my way home, I heard people in my street gossiping about her. I moved closer to them and heard them talking about the girl I envied and the terminal disease she had been fighting with her parents trying so hard to keep her in check. I got home speechless and sad. It was a pity that as beautiful as I thought her life was, she was dealing with something I couldn’t imagine and she became the talk of the town. While in that state of mind, the Holy Spirit ministered to me like this, “Why are you sad? Are you now wishing you are not her? Could you have handled what she is handling?” I was dumbfounded. Then the Holy Spirit asked me, “What do you have?”  I replied, “I have nothing” but the Holy Spirit replied me saying, “You have Christ and He who has got Christ, has gotten it all.” I have been living with a different mindset ever since then till now.

Envy, jealousy, contempt, dissatisfaction, & discontentment are devices of the devil, he uses these to steal away our happiness & peace of mind.

Beloved, your story might be different from mine, I might not be able to understand where you are coming from, I might not be able to feel your pain or see things from your own point of view but I am here to encourage you to BE YOU. Just like our DNA is different from each other, so is our lives, challenges, trials, choices etc. Everyone has got their own cross and we must carry it every day following Jesus. God knows what we are capable of and He has positioned us where we can function.

I have seen brilliant people living a fake life, trying to be who they are not and in the process, they lose the brilliance in them. I have also seen people despise their own happy marriage because of someone else’s marriage they think is perfect, and in the process, they create problems in their marriage that wasn’t there. Even youths/teens nowadays want to study a course that is beyond their capabilities because someone they know is successful at it. While some parents will compare their children’s abilities to other children, instead of identifying the strength of their children and help bring out the best in them. We no longer have teamwork in official settings, church, school, etc, where individuals can do what each one is good at. What we have now is competitions, trying to be who we are not, doing more than we can handle and failing at it. We keep forgetting that our differences are what makes us unique in our own way. Let us be content with where God has placed us and bloom right there.

In the Bible, there was a young man named Daniel, who was chosen with many other children to be given an opportunity to eat a nutritious and balanced diet of the Kings meal. Daniel chose not to defile himself, I will say he chose to be Himself.

Let us be content with where God has placed us and bloom right there.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King’s meat nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuch that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8 KJV).

Then, Daniel alongside his three other friends maintained their usual self that before the appointed time, everyone saw the best in them.

“And at the end of ten days, their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the King’s meat” (Daniel 1:15).

You can only bring out the best in you, if only you choose to be yourself. Reading further, I realized even God was pleased with Daniel and his friends for being who they are.

“As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17 KJV).

Maybe the reason why God hasn’t said yes to that request or said anything about that matter is because you are not where He has placed you to be.

Behind every glory is a story

Joseph also in the Bible had an opportunity to govern over the house of a wealthy man. He could have allowed his position in that house get into his head and try to be what he is not, but he chose to be himself even in the face of temptation [Genesis 39 vs 1-22]. Then Joseph, maintaining his ownself rose to the highest position he or anyone could ever think of [Genesis 41 vs 42-44].

The challenges, circumstances, trials, pain, etc, you might be going through, that makes you want to leave the place where God has placed you to someone else’s place is only for a while. Don’t give in to discontent, envy, jealousy, etc, because giving in to these devices is giving in to the Devil lies and deception.

The Bible in 1peter 5:7-8 (TLB) says “7. Let him (Jesus) have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.

8. Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart. ⁹ Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord, and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these sufferings too.”

Then I fell in love with verse 10

“After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you his eternal glory. He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever.”

Our God is ever faithful. He is El-Roi (He sees it all)

Behind every glory is a story. If you can’t envy someone else’s struggle, don’t envy their success. Don’t take in more than you can chew, you might choke. Cut your coat according to your size. In other words, Stay in your lane, Be yourself, develop yourself and see God bring out your best for the world to see.

Shalom!