Be Content with who YOU are

Comparisons happen all the time in all walks of life and it all shapes and sizes.  It could be comparing Quarterbacks in football, “Joe Montana is a better quarterback than Tom Brady” or school administrants, “Mr. Smith is not as good of a Principal as Mrs. Murphy”, you could go on and all and make comparisons about anything really. It could even be that apples are better than oranges.

Believe it or not, there are even comparisons that go on in Student Ministries. I know, shocking, right? 😉 As student ministers, we DO get compared to the last Student Minister the church has had previously.  We DO get compared to the very charismatic Student Ministers who we come into contact with on retreats.  We DO get compared to our teaching style (“Your messages aren’t as deep as the old youth minister”). The list could go on and on about how student ministers get compared. to.

But student ministers aren’t immune to comparing. I have done a variety of comparisons as well. I would say things like, “last year’s senior class was/was not as good as this years” or “there are no strong leaders in this years freshmen class”.  Whether you are being compared or you are comparing, the bottom line is that it’s not very healthy.

The reality is that with all the comparisons that end up happening, it is hard to be completely confident in who YOU are as a Student Minister. Whether you are consciously thinking of it or not, in the back of your mind you’ll always have this desire to change who you are so that you can be more like this other person. Or, you will second guess your decisions you make wondering how they will be received. Therefore, you can’t possibly be fully who you are because of this.

That is why it is so important to be reminded of and confident in who you are and who God created you to be…as a person and as a leader. So take a few minutes and read a few verses below and be reminded that God calls all of us to be unique and who we are.

• 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.”
• 2 Corinthians 10:12 – “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”
• Psalm 37:3-4 – “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:10 – “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

God specifically designed and created you to be YOU, not someone else. Always seek to learn and grow as a minister, but you have to fight the comparisons and interject who you are into the life of students. After all, the students can and will learn so much from you, just as they did the minister previous. So don’t change who you are. Embrace your uniqueness and allow God to reach the hearts and souls of the students. And then see how God uses you to make a lasting impact in the lives of students.

So what do you think? How have you learned to be content in who you are and how has that helped your ministry? Share below or use Twitter to share by using @tapounder when you tweet.