Stradivarius violins are not meant to be treated or played like trumpets, no matter how nice a trumpet may sound!

Or, as Oscar Wilde put it, “Be yourself– Everybody else is taken!”

What does this mean?  Even as a child, when someone would tell me, “Be yourself”, I’d answer—“Sure—as soon as I can figure out what that is!”  I’m still figuring that out.  And I’m guessing so are you and pretty much everyone else.

Let’s look at what Scripture has to say:

“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  — Ps. 139:13-14
~Embrace and celebrate who God designed us to be— don’t despise it, don’t cut it down, don’t be ashamed of it, don’t focus on the flaws. That would be an insult to our Maker. How would we feel if we cooked an elaborate dinner and the food somehow began to complain and tell all our guests how they didn’t have the right ingredients, weren’t cooked properly, etc.?!  If we’re not sure what our “ingredients” are, pay attention to what we enjoy being and doing, and what comes easily to us.  If we’re still not sure, ask friends, family, and of course, our Maker who mixed the “ingredients” into us.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are  different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working,  but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”– 1 Cor. 12:4-6

~Release ourselves from trying to be someone else—Don’t bother wasting our effort on it, since it won’t work.  It’s not supposed to.  Why?  Because if we did become that someone else, it would leave a hole in the world that we’re supposed to fill. Each of us, with our unique design, fills a certain space that no one else can fill.  No matter how big or small the jigsaw puzzle, everyone notices when there’s a piece missing.  No one likes that.  In fact, it bugs some people so much, they’ll search like crazy ‘til they find it.  That’s how valuable we are—each unique “puzzle piece” of us!

“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” – Eph. 4:16

~There’s no use or need to envy others— it just makes us miserable.  We can admire someone’s good character qualities, and let them inspire us to seek the Lord to develop those same character qualities.  We can also admire someone’s gifts and abilities—as long as we receive and encourage them, NOT gripe against God for not giving us the same ones!  No matter how good any instrument sounds, it takes all kinds to make an orchestra!

“Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many…If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”                 — 1 Cor. 12:14-20

~Be the BEST selves God designed us to be.  From a “negative” perspective, we can say, “Well, we’re stuck with ourselves, so we might as well make the best of it!” From a positive perspective– always better– we can say, “Hey, we were designed by a Master Designer to do great things– let’s not settle for less!”

~We sound best when we’re playing our own part well. Some of us may be a bit high-strung, but that’s ok– it just means we’re a Stradivarius!