Unique

I am sitting here going through my notes from Thr3e this past Tuesday. One of the statements made by Steven Furtick was, "The thing that makes you unique makes you powerful." I have heard this concept espoused in various forms before, so it is by no means exclusive or new with Furtick.

However, it is a compelling statement and one that needs to be heard and lived more in the church world. Especially in the church conference and leadership realm. Way too often we go to conferences or seminars or just visit other churches looking for a formula to copy. We download sermons and copy them word for word thinking that is the answer cause it worked elsewhere. We change our look, our style, even our personality to try and emulate someone else who we see as successful. I say "we" because I have fallen prey to this at times too. It is easy to do.

Now, I am not espousing that attending these events or using the resources of others is wrong in any way. The exact opposite as a matter of fact. There is so much out there that is good that we need to use what others are offering as helps and starters and even springboards for messages and ministry. It is good stewardship to share what we have and share what others are offering to make all of us better. Lifechurch.tv gets this as well or better than anyone else.

However, when we do use these resources we must do so with the individual flair of who God is molding us to be. We must be DEVOTED to prayer and preaching of the Word. That means we get our context from God even when we are filling it with content from other sources. Only in prayer will the vision and ideas and all that is needed to please God where we are as who we are come out and be revealed. It may happen at a conference or some other place, but it is not because of or from the speaker(s) or church(es) involved. They may have been used by God to spark something, but the origin is God, or at least it needs to be. In His prayer Steven said it this way, "God take what I say and turn it into what needs to be heard by the time it gets to the heart."

Everyone of us needs a direct encounter with God to know the direction we are to go. We need to hear from the Holy Spirit what it is we are to say and proclaim. Once we hear from the Source, then we can sift among the abundance of resources available to get that message that God is burning in us out to those He has placed before us. We do so using the uniqueness of who He has created us to be.

I can't be you and you need to thank God you can't be me. So let us leverage our uniqueness and accomplish what God has for us.