For Best Results, Be Yourself

Did you know that being yourself is a huge key to enjoying your life and fulfilling God’s good plan for your future?

The truth is, any time we try to become like someone else, we set ourselves up to fail, because we weren’t wired to be like them. God created each of us with the specific gifts, talents, and skills needed to fulfill our purpose. So, when we’re true to the way He uniquely designed us, we set ourselves up for success.

The story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 illustrates this so well. It shows us how important it is to be authentic—to be the person God created us to be—instead of trying to be like someone else.

The Israelite army faced a huge giant named Goliath, a champion of the mighty Philistines. However, when Goliath came out to fight, the Israelite soldiers were frozen in fear and refused to answer his challenge to meet him in battle.

When David offered to go and fight the giant, King Saul immediately told him no, because he was too young and the giant had been a warrior for many years. David then immediately told the king about a time when he had slain a lion…and another time when he had slain a bear.

Finally, Saul agreed to let him fight. Then he dressed David in his own tunic and armor and put a bronze helmet on his head. David then tried to walk in them and realized that he couldn’t go fight dressed in someone else’s armor, because he wasn’t used to it. He couldn’t even move in it!

David wisely took off Saul’s armor, grabbed his shepherd’s staff and slingshot, and gathered five smooth stones—the things that were natural to him. Armed with only those items, he approached the giant and did what no one thought he could do. Using his slingshot, he launched a single stone that struck and killed Goliath, and the Israelites went on to defeat the Philistines that day.

David did defeat Goliath, but he had to be true to himself in order to do so! His ways may have been unusual to others, but they were just right for him, and it worked because God was with him. And the same is true for you and me.

Always remember that you cannot defeat your Goliath with Saul’s armor on. This means you cannot use someone else’s abilities, personality, or resources to accomplish what you need to do. You must be true to you!

Learning to be yourself is essential for any kind of success and victory in your life. Others may not understand your uniqueness, but God does, and that is all that matters.

There is only one you. When God created you in your mother’s womb, He made a unique masterpiece. There are things He has planned for your future that only you can accomplish, but it’s going to require you to be yourself…to be the wonderful and authentic person He designed you to be.

_{Adapted from the book Authentically, Uniquely You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2021 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.}