The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. — Psalm 138:8
I like the idea that God only made me once. Like paintings — there’s only one original and may be duplicated only from the original. The work of the Lord is perfect and may be copied but will never be original. A man will be a man, a woman a woman and a leader a leader. Those are original and cannot be duplicated. If you notice an original painting and the lookalike there is a vast difference. The paints and signature are very different.
The answer is that the original is work, but fun. Any copies, exact or modified, are boring, if not mindless. Creating is just problem solving, and once you solve the original problem, it’s like you could train bright monkeys to do the replicating. The question is not unlike asking a chef to create the most special French onion soup in the world and, after he or she has succeeded beyond any expectations, to keep making it every day.
God made you once. You were worth the work that first time. Then He threw away that mould because one of you is enough for Him. You’re enough. You are the sacred painting, the original. Hallelujah
God made us this way on purpose. It’s no mistake that we are formed the way we are. But why?
Why did God make humans in the first place?
Look at Isaiah 43:7: Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
God created us for His glory. Hang with me for a little Old Testament lesson. The word create in the original Hebrew is bara. When this particular word is used, God is the only subject — He does all the work. Only He can create in this particular way. We may be able to create a painting or create chaos, but as humans, we cannot bara. So when God made you, He did something that only He can do, and He did that for His glory.
This short Hebrew 101 lesson does have a point. We look at the original language of the text to see, according to Scripture, that we were made especially by God to promote Him, glorify Him, and worship Him.
If we are each as unique as the Bible says we are, then our calls to courage are each equally unique.
So what does this have to do with being brave?
If we are each as unique as the Bible says we are, then our calls to courage are each equally unique.
We each have to be brave in our own ways.
The painting of your life is a masterpiece that will never be replicated, and there’s a brave brush to use in this painting that will change everything for God’s glory and for your good. Maybe you want to move to another country to live and share about Jesus. My friend, that is brave. It really is. But so is being a stay-at-home mom. And so is being a cable technician. So is being an author or a soccer player or a chef. Courage looks different for each of us.
God made you on purpose and unique. God has called you to be brave. And God will equip you to do it. I do not mind other people trying to be another portrait, once you mess with the original product it is spoiled. A man who wants to be the opposite sex will destroy the original and so the woman who wants to be a man. Do not mess with the original creatures that God has produced. One day you will have to answer to the creator of His masterpiece.
