By Weldon Tisdale, Chaplain
“Just be yourself!” The resounding encouragement most likely to be spoken to someone doubting their abilities. In the smash hit Frozen, Elsa had to learn to be herself, discarding the “conceal” message her parents had instilled in her as a child and harnessing her unique powers for the good of her kingdom.
In the smash hit Coco, young Miguel had to break out of the “make shoes” message of his parents and learn to be himself, a music-loving Mexican singer who brought joy to his village.

How does God feel about this message to “be yourself”? After reading the Bible, I would say that God cautiously loves it. We see God’s love for our uniqueness in Paul’s masterful analogy of the human body “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” 1 Corinthians 12:18. Just as God wants elbows to be elbows and eyeballs to be eyeballs, so also God wants you to be you. The idea that we are unique and are uniquely made for a purpose is wonderfully biblical. That begs the question—Who are you?

I’ve come to realize that I can read faster, write more clearly, and speak more easily than the average person. For me, “be you” looks like investing as much of my time into these God-given talents so that more people can get connected to Jesus.

And you? Are you wired for emotion, compassion, or comforting people? Do you have the courage to take that first step as a leader? Do you have the ability to come up with fresh ideas? I don’t know exactly how God made you, but I do know that God made you to be you…for Him. Because when you are who God created you to be for Him, you’ll be the best you possible.

Adapted from Pastor Mike Novotny at timeofgrace.org