Listen

We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other.

Romans 12:4-5

Think

Kids’ Bibles love to tell this part of Romans in a way that elicits laughter. Can you imagine a body that’s only hands? Or only ears? And for good reason: that humor highlights the absurdity of wishing we could be anyone else. God didn’t design you to be anyone else; God designed you to be you. When we get caught up in trying to be like someone else, we lose sight of the journey toward becoming the person God wants us to be.

Another way to think of how God works is to imagine a great symphony being played by an enormous orchestra. What if only flutes played the song? Or only trumpets? It wouldn’t be much of a symphony, would it?

As you enter a new school year, there will be new trends, new cliques, new pressures to conform to the world around you. Remember that God designed each of us in a unique way so that we can play our own part, not the part of anyone else.

Lauren Dunn

Question to Ponder:

How can I best play my unique part in God’s great symphony?

Pray

God of all imagination and creativity, you made me in your image and designed me for a unique purpose in your world. Keep me on the path toward you and away from the distractions that make me question who I am. Amen.

Go

Go into the world resting in the confidence of your identity in God, who designed you, loves you, and goes with you every step of the way.