Why do we try so hard to fit in when we were made to stand out?

I was listening to K-love today when I heard the DJ say that she heard a line in a movie that said "Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were made to stand out?".  In the movie, this was said to a girl that was a princess but didn't know it.  It's obvious how this applies to our teenagers today.  As adults, we tend to focus statements like this toward our teens because we don't want them to fall in with "the crowd".  However, we adults are more than guilty of falling in with "the crowd" too.

How many times have you participated in a conversation that, when it was over, you just weren't proud.  We give the devil so many tools and strong-holds to use against us that before we realize it, we are no where close to living the abundant life that Christ came to give us (John 10:10).  Remember when your mom told you "if you don't have anything good to say about someone, don't say anything at all"?  I do.  There isn't much better advice than that but unfortunately, talking about people (gossip) has become so easy that we don't know we do it because we are fitting in.  We adults have to be just as careful about wanting to fit in as our teens.

Peter said that we are a peculiar people (1 Pet 2:9).  Webster defines peculiar as distinctive.  To be distinctive is to stand out.  If this is the case, why do we think it is so odd when a Tim Tebow gives thanks to the Lord on TV.  Many of us are proud and think we would do the same think if we were given the opportunity, but don't we have the same opportunity every day?  I find that most Christians enjoy talking about Jesus to each other but when they are around non-Christians or even luke warm Christians they tend to tone it down or stop talking about Jesus altogether.  We can all come up with 10 good reasons why we don't witness to people.  We can think of 10 good reasons why we don't tell someone that is hurting that God loves them.  But isn't one reason to do it enough to overcome all the reasons not to?  When we boil away all of our excuses as to why we aren't being a peculiar people, all that is left is fear.  We are afraid to stand out, we are afraid of what people will think, we are afraid we won't know what to say....

The bottom line is that you can't mess up witnessing to someone until you first try it.  Jesus said that if we are ashamed of him on earth, he will be ashamed of us (Luke 9:26).  How awful it would be if after all of the sin that Jesus has forgiven us for, he is ashamed of us because we were ashamed of Him.

My challenge to you is, if you don't witness already, tell someone that you don't normally speak to about Jesus that He loves them.  Be the peculiar people that he has called us to be and you will soon see what a positive impact that you can have on others. 

God loves you and I do too!