Enjoy the Day! - Pt 5

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:1-4 ESV).

Joy is found in understanding our nature. We are “sheep.” This means the temptation to conform is heavy. However, we must remember that everyone who has achieved the admiration of others thought outside of the box; and, they probably broke a lot of the norms prevalent in their society while they were at it. Martin Luther King Jr., the Wright brothers, Gandhi, and even Jesus Christ would have accomplished nothing if they resigned themselves to the self-defeating belief of, “Oh well, I guess that’s just the way things are.” God does not ask for us to be spineless conformists in this world; He has called us to become courageous, creative thinkers who aren’t afraid to be authentic and swim against the current, no matter what our culture has to say about it. We can, and should dare to be different, because the world needs the unique gift only we can offer. Great joy is rooted in the truth that we are a masterpiece! When God made us, He really did break the mold; we are an original! Knowing that we are unique should humble us. It should make us realize just how much God loves us. We understand that no two people have the same fingerprint. It is overwhelming to think that there is no other one in the human population who has the identical pattern that we have. And, it doesn't end there. We know that our DNA is strikingly different as well. No two people have the same identical DNA. God wanted us to be uniquely different, and at the same time, have some of the same characteristics and traits of our parents. However, as much as we may be similar to our parents, we are unique. David said it this way in the Psalms: "I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well" )Psalm 139:14). This great value inspires joy! We take so many things for granted in this day and time, and we shouldn't, especially if we are Christians. With each passing day, we should gain a new appreciation for how He has blessed us. That ought to amaze us; it ought to raise us from any despair and place us in the position of delight. Use this thought to inspire you to that joy today!