Embracing Your Difference in Christ

This red leaf was on the wall of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto. It was one of many leafs on a long stem running horizontally on the wall. I would say the stem run for more than 5 meters, and since I had my mini tripod with me, I decided go rest it against the wall and shoot a super macro shot. However, all the leafs were too big for a super macro, so I ended up going up the stairs alongside the stem all the way to the end to this little leaf; it was the last in the long string of leafs and it fit perfectly in my camera’s super macro zoom. That’s when I remembered the verse:

“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” Psalm 118:22

That incident kept me thinking that day. This little leaf was so much like Jesus (in symbolism) in that, it seemed the least likely to be photographed—in my human thinking, it certainly wasn’t my first choice, but it was the only one fit for the job. Jesus too seemed the least likely person for the job (to be the King of the Jews, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world), but no one else could do what He did—died for the sins of the whole world, so that those who believe in His payment of sin will be saved.

“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ” ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'” Matthew 21:42

That led me to think about something else: how many times in my life I had felt inadequate and unfit for certain jobs and positions, and so, struggled a lot within myself–only to find out that God wasn’t going to change a thing, because He meant for me, just the way I am, to do the job. Let me give you an example.

Embracing your Difference in Christ by Fadi

One day while I was riding in my uncle’s new Toyota, he asked me, “Do you hear cracking sounds?” I answered him, “Hmmm…sorry, I am making it. I am just testing the interior panels to see how well they are made and fit together!” He asked, “And?” I answered him honestly, “I think the interior of your older Toyota was made of higher quality and fit together better.” He said, “Fadi, you have to stop being so cynical!” That might seem like such a common conversation except that I took his comment to heart, because I always thought ‘cynical’ is a bad word—certainly unfit for a Christian. Anyway, that bothered me a lot because I knew that I wasn’t happy with some things around me and I certainly didn’t approve of them. If you have read my writings before, you more than likely have observed that. So, I struggled against changing my personality for quite some time. I wanted to be the “perfect” Christian who always smiled and approved of everything!

A year after that, God called me to study mechanical engineering, and I realized for the first time what a blessing it is to be cynical for an engineer! An engineer cannot improve his design if he first can’t criticize it. A product won’t truly evolve to meet the consumers needs better if the designers are not willing to take the consumers feedbacks, especially the negative ones, because they are the most useful feedbacks. They must be taken to heart and seriously. That’s when I realized that taking a double look at things before accepting them as perfect is not a bad trait—it is actually a blessing. And all blessings come from God.

What I really want to say is this: God wants to change our characters—characteristic traits we have picked up from ungodly influences and Satan lies, such as: dirty jokes, filthy language, dressing immodestly, bitterness, judgmental spirit, listening to sensual music. He does not want to change our personality otherwise He wouldn’t have created us with that personality! For example, I am an introvert, but does that mean I can’t be a follower of Jesus Christ? Absolutely not! It just means I usually recharge after a long day by spending time by myself! However, if you don’t like to build relationships—Godly and healthy relationships—because of past hurt and you let Satan hold you back from God’s best, through his lies, and haven’t let God do His work in your life, then that’s a completely different story than being an introvert by nature. (I personally can relate to both cases.)

All I want you to take from these simple words is: embrace who God created you to be, and reject who Satan wants you to be. If you won’t embrace God’s plan for who you are then you are in for a life full of misery and more than likely, disobedience too, which just happens to increase misery! If you won’t reject who Satan wants you to be, then prepare for God’s disciple to deal with you as His wisdom and love sees fit. God’s ultimate goal is always to conform you to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ, and when you accepted Him as Lord of your life, you told Him that you are not your own any longer but His; because you have been bought with a price and what a precious price it was.