Your You-Ness

 

In my usual manner of devotional time, I read this 6th chapter of Psalm on February 6th. It goes like this:

“Oh Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. Have mercy on me Oh Lord, for I am weak; Oh Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled, but You, O Lord – how long? Return Oh Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!”

I read that entire chapter, but only typed it here to verse 4, for the sake of this blog being more lengthy than usual. But in case you’re wondering how David’s appeal ended, suffice it to say, he simply surrendered to whatever God’s will was for Him. He appealed to God in his prayer which was a prescription that strengthened his weary soul.

Sounds like David wasn’t having a “zippity do dah” day, does it? That’s because “Mama said there’d be days like this”. That’s a reference to an old 60’s song. No doubt, some day we will all have days like that – from illness, disappointment, sadness or plain old discomfort in body, soul, and spirit.

Just in case you’re feeling those feelings of David in what seems to be a lack-luster chapter in Psalm, I’ll flip that script to what I read from Max Lucado’s “God is With You Every Day” devotional book the same day. Here’s what his February 6th words were -- “Use Your “You-ness”. What a difference the troubles that David was experiencing and our choice to turn this day into a “zippety do dah” day!

“No one else has your “you-ness”. No one else in all history has your unique history. No one else in God’s great design has your divine design. No one else shares your blend of personality, ability, and ancestry. When God made you, the angels stood in awe and declared. “We’ve never seen one like that before.” And they never will again.

You are heaven’s first and final attempt at you. You are matchless, unprecedented, and unequaled. Consequently, you can do something no one else can do in a fashion no one else can.

Call it what you wish. A talent. A skill set. A gift. An anointing. A divine spark. An unction. A call. The terms are different, but the truth is the same: “The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.” (I Corinthians 12:7)

Each of us – not some of us, a few of us, or the elite among us. Many people stop short of their destiny. They settle for someone else’s story. They fit in, settle in, and blend in. But they never find their all. Don’t make the same mistake.

Your existence is not accidental. Your skills are not incidental. God “shaped each person in turn” (Psalm 33:15). Find your “you-ness” and use it for the kingdom.”

Thanks, God, and thanks, Max, for those words that tell us we can have a downcast day and at the same time have a day packed full of potential and promise because our Manufacturer aka God Almighty isn’t finished with us yet. He has uniquely and divinely packaged us with everything we need to be the very BEST of His handiwork.

Now, let’s invest in ourselves by declaring “I can do ALL things, accomplish all things, through our God Who will do valiant things in us, through us and for us! Let’s find our YOU-NESS today and soldier up!