By Jessica Brodie

Did you ever try really hard to fit into a group of people, yet you could never quite manage it? You always felt a bit like an outsider, watching from the edges?

That was me for most of my life. Even today it’s sometimes the case. A friend once described me as a lone wolf, and though I bristled at the idea at the time, I think she’s right. I was that kid who happened to be both highly sensitive and highly intelligent, which is an odd combination. Not only that, but I moved around a lot, which meant I was often the shy, awkward new kid.

It took me entirely too long—far into my adult years—to figure out who I really was instead of trying to fit into existing groups, entirely too long to figure out I actually really liked myself as I was instead of trying to conform.

See, I’m a triangle, and a triangle doesn’t easily fit into a circle or a square. You might be able to work it in there a little bit, but it’s not quite meant for that shape. And that’s OK.

It reminds me a lot about what the apostles said in their writings to the early church, talking about how we Christians are different from other people, how we’re not supposed to worry about pleasing the world or setting our focus on earthly concerns. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:20 about us being citizens of heaven, not earth. In essence, we have one foot in this world and one in the next.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” Paul writes in Romans 12:2 (ESV).

In Colossians 3:2, he writes, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

The apostle John urges us not to love the world or the things in it, for, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

The apostle James writes in James 4:4 that friendship with the world is actually enmity with God.

Yet we often still try to fit in, don’t we? Maybe we’re not that insecure little loner kid I used to be, trying to fit into social circles that didn’t work out too well, but often we try to fit a mold that isn’t truly reflective of who we are in our souls. We forget we are God’s unique and perfect individual creations. Maybe we dislike our looks because they don’t align with what we think is the so-called acceptable standard of attractiveness, so we don’t appreciate the traits others often find beautiful. Maybe there are things about our personality we don’t value, little quirks that make us absolutely hilarious or that bring a much-needed perspective to Bible study. Yet we try to squash the uniqueness right out of us, conforming to what we think are the ideals, molding ourselves so we’re just like everyone else. We think there’s something wrong with us as we are naturally instead of celebrating what God intentionally and lovingly handcrafted.

Let’s own what Paul—and James, and John, and Peter—wrote and apply it not only to our faith, but also to who we are as people. We are different, and different is good. As Christians, we’re different from the rest of the world, and as human beings we might be different from other Christians, too. That’s not something to hide or change. It’s actually something to celebrate.

If you’re a triangle in a sea of circles and squares, or a circle in the midst of a bunch of triangles, don’t fear what makes you different. Remember—maybe God created you for a special purpose, or a special connection with a certain group of people.

The longer you spend dismissing or redesigning or manipulating your special self into something false, the longer it will take you to celebrate your perfect fit.

Be you … the best version God would want you to be.

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