Stop looking to those people to know how to live.  Even the people you look up to the most are very broken.  You know who I’m talking about.  “Those people.”  The people with a certain history or a certain struggle similar to yours. The people with the ideal life habits or the best body type. The people with a certain expertise or job.  The people in a certain stage of their earthly life.  Even the people who lead stuff in your church.

Even though you think they’re already at the “happily ever after” part of their story, I can guarantee you they still struggle quite often.  They still deal with frustration, discontent, idolatry, doubt, and bouts of depression.  You’re not at the end until you’re dead.  And even then, still, when you’re made completely perfect, it’s not the end.  It’s just the envy and lies and judgment will just be gone now.  But you’ll still need character.

On this earth, we get to suffer.  And we don’t overcome our struggles.  Jesus does.  Here on this planet, we suffer.  We inevitably suffer.  Regardless of our government programs, our family makeups, our socioeconomic statuses, or our belief systems, we suffer.  We get to suffer, and we get to struggle, and yet we get to trust God with our struggles every day.  It’s like this gift we give to him.  “Here, God, take my struggle.”  He gladly takes it.  We struggle.  (And because of this, we would do best to pray for “those people.”)

The best model to imitate is and always will be Jesus Christ.  And the best person to be is uniquely YOU.  The one with the renewed identity and transformed mind.  Yes, you, as you ALREADY are because Christ lives in you and has ALREADY cleansed you.  You with all your talents and skills and platforms and personality traits submitted to God.  You are an amazing creature!  You’re cheating God out of glory if you think you’re anything less than His masterpiece.  How dare you insult His work!

You are His little masterpiece, broken apart and all glued up again and you kind of remind me of Jesus in a way or two.  We’re all some little masterpiece.  So let’s all be little Christs in our own unique ways as we strive to know Him.  He is beautiful; ergo so are we when we draw near to Him.

Why do we obsess about how others are living and whether we “measure up?”  It’s an inadequate standard.  It’s too short yet.  Let’s analyse and tear apart the ways He lives HIS life, the principles and rules He lives by and the freedoms and joys and victories HE revels in.  Why? Because what God wants to make out of you is far more than just a man or a woman.  His standard is limitless.  And unlike you, you who give up way too soon on yourself, He won’t stop remaking you until He reaches infinity.

Be unashamed of yourself.  Be different because you’re not a pattern or a mold, you’re you.  Be different because it causes you to look to God, to an unlimited and vast and infinitely diversely creative God, instead of human tradition, and instead of the ways you’re already comfortable in.

Make mistakes… and be covered by His grace. Close your eyes and picture a hail storm, and a mom covering her child with a blanket, and carrying him inside.  He doesn’t deserve it.  She doesn’t scold him.  He can’t see a thing.  She is hurt, but she doesn’t care: He’s safe.  That kind of covered.

Admire HIS righteousness more than you strive for your own.  And yeah, sure, you’ll find that if you do trust Him more than yourself, all your pesky little desires will somehow be realized.  But that’s nothing.  You love Him with freedom apart from the law through Christ, without shame or obligation, and you’ll find that the God of the universe has had His way in you — yes, even you.

Colossians three two.