How To Embrace Your Uniqueness: 3 Keys

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Do you struggle to embrace your uniqueness? Ever felt like you were unqualified? I grew up in an environment where everyone was extroverted and it always seemed like I could never keep up. Surrounded by boys, I kept to myself a lot. I was not sporty or the outdoor kind (Thankfully, that is not the case now, i.e. I try). So we shared very few interests. Anyway, over the years, the aspect of being different really irked me and I ended up resenting myself. Why can’t I be like them? Why don’t I like the things they like? Even in school, I always had difficulty fitting in

Because I was different. In fact, for the longest time, people have always described me as delicate. And to be honest, I always viewed this as a negative thing. I always wondered why everyone else seemed to fit in easily. And would often wonder why I couldn’t fit in.

Can you relate? Have you had difficulty celebrating your uniqueness? Do you struggle with people-pleasing? Maybe you struggle to be different, so much so that you dim your light to fit in. Maybe you have had people call you weird. Today I want to encourage you with a beautiful word that will encourage you to embrace your uniqueness. And I also want to encourage you with some scriptures from the Bible. And to do that, let us first go to the genesis of it all.

The story of creation

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

²⁷ So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The reason I brought up this scripture is that I want you to understand that God is your creator. When God created the earth, He said “it is good”. This tells us that everything God creates is perfect and that He makes no mistakes. You being different is a good thing. Since you were created in the image and likeness of God, you reflect an attribute of God that others don’t know. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and being different is part of your purpose. Why would you focus on being someone you are now? God is calling you to be authentic and become your true self. But for you to do that, it is imperative that you embrace your uniqueness.

God created you and me in His image and likeness. Friends, the attributes in you that cause you to not fit in are good in themselves, and God wants to use them to reveal Himself to the world. You should celebrate it. Jesus also felt misunderstood. He was also lonely.

Reasons why you don’t fit in

Maybe you have a high self-awareness that others don’t have. You see because Jesus knew who He was and His purpose; He stood out, and it was clear that He was different. Could it be that the reason you stand out is that you know who you are? This, my friend, is not a bad thing. Knowing who you are and whose you are, means you understand you have a role to play in this world. And it also means that you recognize that is okay to be different, therefore you walk in your authenticity. You see for you to embrace your uniqueness; you know you are different. When you are different, you move differently. And you recognize you cannot do things as they have been done before.

Sometimes the reason you are different is because of the purpose God put inside you. Moses was different and although he tried to fit in by killing the Egyptian man to save the Israelites, his own people did not accept him. The very people he was called to save rejected him. Moses, having been called to lead and deliver, had to move differently and act differently. Could it be that the reason you don’t fit in is that God has set you apart to be a voice that delivers others from the yoke of the enemy? When God has called you for a greater purpose, being different is inevitable. And no matter how much you try to escape it, you never will.

Another reason could be that you are trying too hard to fit in with the wrong crowd. There is a community for you and you will fit in. You cannot try to fit in where God hasn’t called you to be a part of. When you are called to be a light, why would you remain in darkness? Sometimes maybe God has taken you through a season of refinement and now the things you enjoy before, don’t excite you anymore. And that is why you are having a hard time trying to fit in. You could experience conflict within where God is calling you to embrace your uniqueness and you are trying to fit in. Being yourself is so freeing.

3 ways to help you learn how to embrace your uniqueness

1. Fall in love with yourself.

2. Deal with the junk

3. Build your confidence

Fall in love with yourself to embrace your uniqueness

Falling in love with yourself is one of the hardest things. No one is more critical of us than we are of ourselves. What thoughts do you think of yourself? Are you quick to forgive yourself when you mess up? Have you allowed other people’s perspectives of you to rule you? Our mind is like memory and so it will only give out what we feed it. If we choose today to talk positively to ourselves, clap at ourselves and reward ourselves, we realize that we now embrace our uniqueness and love who we are, The first thing we need to do to love ourselves is to have a relationship with Jesus. Jesus will give us the ability and desire to love ourselves. Remember, you can only love because He first loved you. Having a relationship with Jesus is the first step to loving yourself.

For you to love yourself you need to love the One who created you. It is by discovering Him you get to discover yourself. And when you love God, you can and will truly love yourself. But you cannot love God when you don’t know who He is. And to know who God is, you need to spend time with Him and read His word. The more you spend time with God, the easier it will be to get to know Him. Prayer, worship, reading the word and praise are all ways you can build intimacy with God.

Discovering what God says about you is also another way that will help you love yourself. In order for you to embrace your uniqueness, you need to know that you are loved and what God says about you. He knew you when you were in your mother’s womb and even before that. This means that He knew you would be different and yet as He created you He said you are good. Imagine that. The Bible story contains beautiful words that God has spoken over us and who He says we are. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. And nothing will ever change that. You are a royal priesthood and unique as you are. Don’t allow others to make you feel weird because you are different. It is okay to be so.

Another way you can learn to love yourself is by enhancing the good you see in yourself. What positive attributes do you possess? Do you know them? Start celebrating the things that make you feel good. And focus on the positive things that your uniqueness makes you stand out. It could be that you are an empath. This is a good thing because it means you are sensitive to other people’s pain and are a great shoulder for others to lean on. Check out this blog post on being a Christian empath.

Deal with the junk

Dealing with the junk involves a lot of soul-searching, looking at the insecurities, and dealing with them. Insecurities stem from lies told to us, either by people who misunderstood us or even the things we tell ourselves. The only way we can change our thinking is by first, Identifying the lies. One can not know the difference between a lie and the truth unless one knows what the truth is, to begin with.

As Christians, we know the Bible is our plumb line. Get to know what God says about you. In doing so, you will identify the lie and replace it with the truth. The best way to replace a lie with the truth is by speaking the truth over your lives. It is easier for the mind to believe something when it is coming from your own mouth. The brain will easily rewire itself; truth will replace lies. In dealing with junk, it is also important to embrace solitude. As you do so, you will learn to listen to your own soul and, more importantly, listen to what God says to you. Spend time journaling and discovering who you are. Identify your uniqueness and embrace it.

Build your confidence

Building your confidence starts with speaking life and positivity into you. Look for ways that bring out your unique attributes. What environments do you best thrive in? In what ways have you exposed yourself to environments that cause the attribute to dim? Once you figure this out, you will have gained your power back. Let the real you- you designed by God- thrive. There are no mistakes in God and when you learn to celebrate your uniqueness, God’s purpose for you will emerge. Remember, God created you just as you are to solve a problem that only you can solve. You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Building your confidence also comes by surrounding yourself with the right community. Focus on being around people who encourage you to embrace your uniqueness. Those that get it will help you build your confidence as they will help you cultivate that part of you.

Another thing that can help you build your confidence is by asking God the reason for your uniqueness. Why did He create you the way He did? There is a reason for that. Being different has a purpose behind it. God is very intentional and everything He does has a reason behind it. So you need to ask for revelation about why you are the way you are. In Jeremiah 33:3, God promises that when you ask, He will answer and even reveal the mysteries. Don’t go about life not knowing your why.

Scriptures that will help you embrace your uniqueness.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Luke 6:26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

James 4:4 You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this evil world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.

2. John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

Matthew 10:22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.

 2 Timothy 3:11-14 You know about all the troubles and hard times I have had. You have seen how I suffered in the cities of Antioch and Iconium and Lystra. Yet the Lord brought me out of all those troubles. Yes! All who want to live a Godlike life who belong to Christ Jesus will suffer from others. Sinful men and false teachers will go from bad to worse. They will lead others the wrong way and will be led the wrong way themselves. But as for you, hold on to what you have learned and know to be true. Remember where you learned them.

Summary

It is okay to be different. And it is the very thing that sets you apart that makes you great. Instead of trying to fit in, why not embrace your uniqueness and focus on enhancing the attributes that make you unique? At a time when people celebrate the status quo, be confident in who you truly are and learn to celebrate your uniqueness.

• EMBRACE THE NEW PATH: LET GO OF THE OLD.
• Don’t Worry, You Are Next.
• WHY ARE WE AFRAID TO BE OUR REAL SELVES?
• PRACTICAL KEYS TO EMBRACE SOLITUDE AND ITS IMPORTANCE.
• PEOPLE PLEASING AND HOW TO GET OUT OF IT.

You are not a mistake, and God knew what He was doing when He created you the way you are. I want to encourage you to move differently because you are different. You are called to something that is bigger than you. And as you focus on enhancing your uniqueness, God will reveal to you the why behind your uniqueness. Be encouraged and remember this, you were and are not a mistake. God sees you and knows you.