“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 31, 2023
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
One of my friends called me recently, excited to share something the Lord had revealed to her. He had been laying it on her heart that it was time for her to slow down and take time to listen to Him. “Did you know,” she said, “that the words ‘listen’ and ‘silent’ are the exact same letters?” She was passionate about taking intentional time to listen to Jesus and was admonishing me to do the same.
As she spoke about the importance of being still, I felt God lay on my heart to take extra time to listen to Him, to stop rushing about and sit and really hear Him. As I did, He reminded me of something important: When we listen, we tune into God’s unique plan for our lives.
It’s easy to believe we need to follow someone else to be significant or to accomplish something meaningful. There is nothing wrong with celebrating another person’s success or admiring the work God has given them to do.
But it’s wrong if we begin to think that we have to do what they are doing because we believe the path that God would have us take isn’t as important, that it won’t be as effective, or that we have to find our significance by doing something other than what God has called us to.
God has given each of His kids a unique path to take, based on their unique giftings, and each is important. Each person alive has been uniquely created to accomplish particular good works, so to copy someone else’s path simply out of insecurity or a feeling of insignificance, is unwise. As I once heard, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”
God didn’t call Moses to march around the walls of Jericho, Paul to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, or Joseph to become a king. Moses, Paul, and Joseph, like all people, were each uniquely created to fulfill particular purposes at particular times, for particular people.
What if Paul had refused to listen to God and write Scripture because he wanted to fulfill another role or to be like his next-door neighbor? What if Moses hadn’t listened to God to lead the people of Israel? What if Joseph hadn’t listened to God to become Jesus’ father?
Just as we have all been given unique fingerprints, we have all been given unique assignments to reach others. Therefore, we must take time to listen to the Lord to tune in to those assignments.
“And now, o sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways” (Proverbs 8:32).
Prayer
Lord, please remind me to take time with you, to hear your voice so that I can fulfill the works you have called me to do. Amen.
Application
Stop today and do a check-in with the Lord. Listen to Him. Are you on the path He has for you?
Related Reading
Job 36:12; Proverbs 19:20; James 1:19
Worship Resource
Christy Nockels: O Come O Come Emmanuel
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