1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:15,010 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,860 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We are so glad to 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 2: have you listening with us here today. Today's topic is 4 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,780 Speaker 2: about allowing yourself to be unique in a peer pressure 5 00:00:21,820 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 2: driven world. We will return after a brief message from 6 00:00:25,540 --> 00:00:42,940 Speaker 2: our sponsor. Allowing Yourself to be Unlike Any Other in 7 00:00:42,979 --> 00:00:47,279 Speaker 2: a Peer Pressure World Written by Leah Girard Read by 8 00:00:47,340 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: Rochelle Alberti Bible Reading There are different kinds of gifts, 9 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 2: but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds 10 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,580 Speaker 2: of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds 11 00:01:00,620 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 2: of working, but in all of them and in every 12 00:01:03,780 --> 00:01:06,740 Speaker 2: one it is the same God at work. Now to 13 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:16,030 Speaker 2: each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given, Have 14 00:01:16,069 --> 00:01:20,090 Speaker 2: you ever found yourself asking, Why me, God? Or possibly, 15 00:01:20,490 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 2: Why not me, God? You're surely not alone, as we 16 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 2: live in a world that's often choking on comparison. Everywhere 17 00:01:28,540 --> 00:01:33,060 Speaker 2: we turn, we hear and see messages about improving, doing better, 18 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,150 Speaker 2: letting go of things that aren't correct, picking up more 19 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:42,530 Speaker 2: correct things, developing new habits, buying the latest self-improvement tool, 20 00:01:42,890 --> 00:01:47,730 Speaker 2: and so on. This pervasive peer pressure to follow someone 21 00:01:47,770 --> 00:01:52,940 Speaker 2: else's plan can feel clamorous, confusing, and heavy, which is 22 00:01:53,020 --> 00:01:56,820 Speaker 2: why it's worth reminding yourself of scripture that says you're 23 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 2: divinely designed with holy intention to be different. You and 24 00:02:02,180 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 2: I are each here to serve our one-of-a-kind purpose. Tuck 25 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:11,150 Speaker 2: this into your heart. 2 Timothy 1.7 proclaims that God 26 00:02:11,210 --> 00:02:14,549 Speaker 2: gave you a spirit of power and love, not a 27 00:02:14,590 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: spirit of fear. So when you're afraid, you just don't 28 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:22,220 Speaker 2: measure up to others. You're choosing to ignore your God-given spirit. 29 00:02:23,220 --> 00:02:27,830 Speaker 2: To counteract this fear, I need to revisit 1 Corinthians 12, 30 00:02:27,830 --> 00:02:31,489 Speaker 2: 4-7 these days. This is because after a recent series 31 00:02:31,530 --> 00:02:35,030 Speaker 2: of health struggles, although I eat clean and stay quite active, 32 00:02:35,750 --> 00:02:39,710 Speaker 2: I made the difficult decision to step down from a high-stress, 33 00:02:40,130 --> 00:02:45,900 Speaker 2: high-performance full-time career and return to freelancing. My entire being 34 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,500 Speaker 2: was begging me to gather my senses. I needed to 35 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,660 Speaker 2: discern what I'm drawn to and what I'm made for. 36 00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:57,340 Speaker 2: I'd been laboring on a large powerhouse team of creatives, 37 00:02:57,860 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 2: relentlessly required to achieve unachievable metrics. It pushed me onto 38 00:03:02,740 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: a path of continual self-criticism, and overwhelmed. I pressured myself 39 00:03:08,580 --> 00:03:12,900 Speaker 2: against the make-believe standard that my career accomplishments represented my 40 00:03:12,980 --> 00:03:17,030 Speaker 2: value before God. I was enmeshed in the corporate peer 41 00:03:17,070 --> 00:03:21,810 Speaker 2: pressure and convinced myself that I owed success to my past, 42 00:03:22,130 --> 00:03:26,010 Speaker 2: my spouse, and my children. That was all until I 43 00:03:26,050 --> 00:03:29,609 Speaker 2: was forced to start asking God what success looked like 44 00:03:30,490 --> 00:03:34,290 Speaker 2: in His eyes. Of course, I understand we all need 45 00:03:34,310 --> 00:03:37,130 Speaker 2: to make a living. But spending your life as someone 46 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,300 Speaker 2: you're not is unlikely to be what God has in 47 00:03:40,340 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: mind for you. That's why it's so refreshing to visit 48 00:03:43,860 --> 00:03:47,540 Speaker 2: Paul's truth in 1 Corinthians 12, that we are all 49 00:03:47,620 --> 00:03:51,750 Speaker 2: created by the same Creator, with a singularly original design. 50 00:03:52,450 --> 00:03:56,090 Speaker 2: God Himself purposely fills each of us with unique longings 51 00:03:56,210 --> 00:03:59,430 Speaker 2: and gifts. What an honor it is to receive this. 52 00:04:00,030 --> 00:04:03,330 Speaker 2: Just read Psalm 139, and you'll know that God created 53 00:04:03,370 --> 00:04:06,630 Speaker 2: a masterpiece. when He knit you together in your mother's womb. 54 00:04:08,370 --> 00:04:11,610 Speaker 2: What I feel Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 12 55 00:04:11,610 --> 00:04:14,630 Speaker 2: is that instead of complaining about what you can or 56 00:04:14,710 --> 00:04:19,180 Speaker 2: can't do, you could discover and celebrate your handcrafted role 57 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,340 Speaker 2: in God's overall plan. Even while there's constant peer pressure 58 00:04:23,380 --> 00:04:26,740 Speaker 2: to wear the latest fashion, drive a better car, live 59 00:04:26,779 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 2: a certain lifestyle, achieve a specific status, you can and 60 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,530 Speaker 2: should still be you. All of us collectively are God's 61 00:04:36,589 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: garden of life, and I can't imagine any garden with 62 00:04:39,820 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: only one type of flower. God is continually revealing that 63 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,660 Speaker 2: every living thing is made by Him with intention and 64 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:51,490 Speaker 2: balanced by Him for the common good. So let me 65 00:04:51,550 --> 00:04:55,010 Speaker 2: reassure you today. When you stay in communication with the 66 00:04:55,250 --> 00:04:59,030 Speaker 2: One who made you to be unlike any other, you 67 00:04:59,050 --> 00:05:02,330 Speaker 2: can feel good about living a life that looks like you. 68 00:05:04,140 --> 00:05:08,430 Speaker 2: intersecting faith and life. When you think about peer pressure 69 00:05:08,510 --> 00:05:11,010 Speaker 2: to achieve or adapt in ways that don't feel right 70 00:05:11,050 --> 00:05:15,890 Speaker 2: to you, consider these suggestions. Pray for God to reveal 71 00:05:15,930 --> 00:05:20,229 Speaker 2: what feels good and fulfilling and well-suited to you. Start 72 00:05:20,310 --> 00:05:22,890 Speaker 2: a bucket list of one new thing you'd like to 73 00:05:22,950 --> 00:05:27,550 Speaker 2: try each week. Write down a scripture verse that feels 74 00:05:27,610 --> 00:05:30,790 Speaker 2: affirming and calming to you, not what someone else tells 75 00:05:30,810 --> 00:05:33,250 Speaker 2: you to write down, and tape it to your mirror. 76 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 2: Further reading, Galatians 1.10, 1 Peter 2.9, Psalm 139.13-14. Thanks 77 00:05:48,940 --> 00:05:50,779 Speaker 2: for listening to today's devotional. 78 00:05:51,060 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 3: If you liked what you heard today, we want to 79 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 3: make sure you know about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 80 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,540 Speaker 3: When you follow Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, 81 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 3: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 82 00:06:04,020 --> 00:06:07,539 Speaker 3: So your days begin in conversation with God. 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