Accept The Way God Made You

I’ve spent much of my life rejecting the way God made me and trying to be just like everyone else. I finally feel secure enough to just be myself. With this post, I’d love to encourage you to accept yourself in all of your uniqueness, just the way God made you!

I could feel my face growing redder by the minute as the group dwindled. The teacher had announced that we were going to play a game, and she proceeded to make two boys the team captains.

She then told the boys to take turns picking their desired teammates. “Brian.” “Matt.” “Amy.” “Lisa.” First they picked their friends, other boys they thought would help them win. Next, they chose athletic girls, and then the pretty girls.

And then there were those of us who were last. The ones who weren’t picked.

I was always in that group.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have any friends, it was just that I wasn’t athletic and I wasn’t pretty. I was scrawny and plain and the boys never liked me. For much of elementary school, I felt like a loser.

Accept Yourself

Over and over again, I heard messages about self-acceptance. I heard it at school, at church, and on T.V.

It was just that it didn’t work like that in real life. I still had to deal with the fact that I wasn’t popular.

For the most part, I enjoyed my childhood.

But then adolescence appeared, and with it, a whole new set of insecurities.

We had moved from a small town to a big city, and suddenly I was about ten years behind fashion-wise. I showed up to my new school with curly hair, huge glasses, and uncool clothes.

Even though my teachers all liked me and I made it on the honor roll, I’ll never forget the day an older girl pushed me down the hall. She pulled my hair and shoved me while she and her friends laughed. My friends told me to ignore her, but I never forgot the mortification I felt that day.

I wished I had been born beautiful and smart and perfect. Or maybe I could just disappear or something.

At any rate, I couldn’t just “accept myself.”

Just Be Like Everyone Else

In order to be accepted, I decided to like whatever everyone else liked. I tried to convince myself that my personal preferences didn’t matter.

I listened to music I didn’t like, went to movies that didn’t inspire me, and succumbed to peer pressure at every turn.

I just wanted to be accepted. To be like everyone else.

After awhile, I finally stopped being picked on. Guys liked me.

Only trouble was, I didn’t like myself.

And even though I had found what I thought acceptance looked like, I still didn’t feel happy.

Free to Be Me

Becoming a Christian helped me to discover what really mattered in life, and I finally found true happiness in Jesus Christ.

And I also discovered that I didn’t have to be like everyone else. I could embrace the person God created me to be, and enjoy my unique giftings.

And it’s okay if no one else likes those things.

For instance, I love classical music. I love books. I love art and old-fashioned things.

I love sitting outside on a spring day, watching the clouds drift by. And thinking. Some people may think there’s not much going on in a quiet person’s head. But it’s anything but quiet in my brain! It’s a constant conversation I’m having with myself!

I’m an introvert. And thankfully, I married an introvert who completely understands me and just lets me be me!

The Value of Personality Tests

I’ve read various opinions on personality testing. I happen to love them, and I think they’re a great idea. Recently, my older daughter encouraged me to take a personality test (rather than just continuing to guess at where I might fit!).

I’m an INFJ. And that explains so much! 🙂

I think it helps to know the personality types of everyone in your family. This helps you to be able to live together in harmony, and show love to each other in meaningful ways. My husband and I and our three oldest children (all teenagers) took the test and we were delighted to find that we all got something different!

God Made You That Way

Sometimes I think we start looking at the person we are and we feel like we’re not very acceptable, and maybe God is looking down and frowning at us.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

He made us each in a uniquely beautiful way, and He loves how different our personalities are!

Here are some verses that might encourage you that He knows who you are, and He loves you.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you… ~Jeremiah 1:5

I have loved you with an everlasting love…~Jeremiah 31:3

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ~Psalm 139:13-14

God doesn’t make mistakes. He knew what He was doing when He created each one of us.

Different Gifts

The body of Christ needs introverts just as much as it needs extroverts (and vice versa).  🙂 We each have unique strengths and gifts that can be used to bless others.

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly. ~Romans 12:6

If you’ve felt rejection or alienation from others in the past, remember that God made you unique. You don’t have to be just like everyone else!

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