"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."

This statement by Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite quotes because it reminds me of one of the most crucial aspects of our calling as ministers of the gospel: though we are constantly being molded into the image of Christ, God nonetheless wants us to retain the unique mix of traits that make us who we are. He doesn't want cookie-cutter ministers but rather a diverse mix of people who represent and can speak to the equally diverse mix of people in the world who are lost and need to encounter the transforming love of Christ.

Jesus' ministry demonstrated this clearly. When He picked 12 people to be His disciples, they were not what you would have expected to be the first-round picks for the team of leaders that would turn the world upside-down. They were not known for being a creative team that would astound people with their brilliance. They were not known for their on-trend skinny jeans, light shows or fog machines.

But they were authentic, raw and definitely real!

Jesus spent the next three years teaching them about the kingdom of God through His words and actions. He taught them about the kingdom that awakens the hearts of humanity and that would shake nations to their core. Jesus taught them about the kingdom that releases the power of the Holy Spirit to break every barrier of the kingdom of darkness.

But even though the same teacher taught them under the same circumstances, the disciples remained true to themselves. Perhaps one of the most important lessons they learned is that even being Christ's disciple does not extinguish your uniqueness. Instead, it unleashes your Holy Spirit potential.

I have learned from many great men and women of faith, but greatness comes from being His voice, not an echo. We must learn from one another's effective methods for accomplishing kingdom purposes, but most importantly, we cannot lose our personal identity, which has been transformed by the blood of Jesus.

It is so easy to look at other ministries and think that they have life better than you. After all, the grass is greener on the other side, right? No! If you are so busy trying to live like someone else, who is going to be who God created you to be? It is so much better to be you than to waste your time being somebody else.

God designed every part of you!

There is no one in the world who can care like you do.

There is no one in the world who can love the people in your life the way you can.

There is no one in the world who can reach your circle of influence the way you can.

There is no one in the world who can share the gospel the exact same way you do.

Why would you ever want to be someone else when you have been:

• adopted as a child of God,
• redeemed,
• forgiven,
• gifted with the Holy Spirit,
• blessed with the will and plan of God on your life,
• and made holy and blameless in God's sight?

All of those blessings and attributes are yours. They are sealed, guaranteed, inherited and your possession! You cannot lose them. They are not going anywhere, for they are protected by the power of God!

Why would you want to be like anyone else, when you have all of these things and you are perfect in your position with Christ?

Remember, everything from God is a gift, including your life. Cherish it—because He does.

Be you in Christ and be filled with His joy this week!

You're beautiful. I see Jesus in you!

Have an awesome week!

Mikel French has challenged spiritual awakening all across America, where many celebrations extended into multiple weeks, and has conducted celebrations in France, Sweden, Russia, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Germany, South Africa, Malawi, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Haiti, Japan, Singapore, India and Thailand. He conducted an outreach celebration in Manila, Philippines, reaching 200,000 teenagers with the book of hope. Through the generous support of partners, he has presented the message of Jesus Christ to millions of people in the nation of Russia through televised citywide soul-winning celebrations. Mikel considers it an honor to assist in conducting the annual pastor's conference, where thousands of pastors from Russia's 11 time zones come for training, teaching and equipping. Mikel and his wife, Marsha, reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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