the Monday Morning Debrief: Be who YOU are

Last week I saw this headline on Yahoo!, “Kim Kardashian Squeezes Into Kylie Jenner’s Bikini”.  What?!?  Well, it did it’s job and I HAD to look at what this was talking about. Sure enough, it had 2 pictures of the bikini on 2 different girls – Kim and Kylie.  The problem is Kylie is smaller than Kim and the suit fits differently on them.

“So what’s the point Tom?  Are you trying to get me to lust and sin?”

No, I’m not.  It actually made me think of ministry and how we try to become someone we aren’t.  Many times we have people or mentors who inspired us and caused us to get into ministry.  And, when we are around those types of people, it can be easy to want to be just like them – to be as funny or outgoing or smart.

The problem is, God probably wired you a little different than that person.  He made you….YOU!  So we need to stop acting like others and starting being ourselves.  That’s not to say we can’t learn from others and apply it to the way we do ministry.  But, it is reminding us that we don’t have to be like this person or that person to be effective in ministry.  We simply have to be ourselves.

I remember for the longest time I wanted be just like my Youth Director.  He was funny, could speak amazingly, would do crazy things and was just and all-around great leader.  I so wanted to be him.  Problem is, God made me differently. So, I had to choose whether or not I was going to “force” myself to be like my Youth Director, or be who God made me to be.

I choose to be ME and after 17 years of full-time youth ministry, I am glad I did. I may not be the craziest, funniest or best speaker, but I am who God made me and through God, I am having an impact on many students.  God wants you to be YOU and no one else so that you can reach people through Christ that no one else can.

What do you think about this?  How have you seen this in your life or those around you?