Uniquely Designed
An interesting thing I’ve noticed as a parent is how different my kids are from one another. Both boys, under three years apart, raised in the same home, with the same parents—are completely different humans. What comes very easily for one child might be tremendously challenging for the other. They need completely different things from me. Still, I love them both tremendously and make an equal effort to meet their individual needs.
Just as two kids growing up in the same home can be so very different from each other, so are we—God’s children—all uniquely designed. Psalm 139 gives a beautiful description of creation, stating that God knew us in our mother’s womb, recording every detail of our lives before even one day came to be. He already knew what our personalities would be like, every hurdle life would throw our way, and what we’d struggle with the most. He knows us better than anyone else.
Sometimes, because we’re all so different from one another, we can get caught up looking to the left and right and comparing ourselves to other Christians around us. What comes effortlessly for one person might be incredibly difficult for someone else, and vice versa. Sometimes, we see someone shining in their strength and forget they are also a flawed human who needs Jesus just as much as we do. Most people don’t highlight the hard parts of their lives, so we don’t see them. Sometimes, when this happens, we wonder how on earth others live for Jesus so effortlessly or think they must be God’s favorite. But what’s the truth?
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23
I found this beautiful, unfiltered prayer in Psalm 119 that has me reflecting on all of these things:
“You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands.” Psalms 119:73 NLT
Following God’s Word in our own strength is literally impossible. No matter how hard we try, we’re always going to make mistakes. Paul writes about this struggle in Romans 7:
“I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…” Romans 7:21-25a NLT
The psalmist’s prayer was not just a cry for help, but an acknowledgment that God made him—that He deeply knows him, knows the intensity of what he is uniquely wrestling with, and has every solution he needs to live a godly life. (2 Peter 1:3)
Our wonderful God fully knows and loves us, despite our humanity and the things that come harder for us. He isn’t comparing us to anyone else. He meets us in our unique needs—emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. What a wonderful thing to experience His love and grace, which meet us in our need and transform us—a story so uniquely designed that no two people on earth have the same one.
Let’s pray:
God, You made me. You know how I think, You know what I struggle with the most, and You know about every detail of my life. Help me not compare myself to others and remember that, as a loving Father uniquely cares for His individual children, so You care for me and have a solution for any struggle I’ll ever face in life. I love You, and I want to see Your strength on display in my weakness. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. I commit my life to following You. Help me follow Your commands!
