Be Different

When you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, do not fret, even though initially you might feel some type of way embarrassed, isolated, or ostracized. God is using the uncomfortable situation as a guardrail and reminder of what lane you are in. Do eagles walk with chickens? Do lions hunt with wolves? Do saints gossip? Should a man or woman of God be lying? To answer these questions, absolutely not. Why? Because Christians ought to choose to be different. We are light, our speech is seasoned with grace, we pray for our enemies and love them. Are we the irrational fanatic, who are considered to be out of touch with reality? No! In all actuality we are the spiritually rational and faithful, who interpret life through God’s reality.

Every day I have a moment of self-talk/self-encouragement. I say things to myself like: “I choose to be humble today,” “Strive Marcus to listen more and talk less today,” and “If I sin, slip, or make a mistake, I will choose to repent, get up, and accept correction.” Self-aspiration is not self-centered, it is a tool to sharpen one’s self-esteem. To discipline oneself by envisioning an opportunity to exhibit virtue is the gift of being human. It is a selfless anticipated jester that benefits not only the person who intends to do good, but ultimately it impacts the person who receives the intended jester.

I never want to be like someone else, especially the toxic types. These are outwardly beautiful people that are charismatic an electric, but they lack the substance, virtue, and anytime they face adversity they immediately get defensive and play the victim. They do this to commit the fallacy, “move the goal post.” This fallacy implies avoiding or evading correction or conflict. As a result, these toxic types can never be different because they lack virtuous progress.

So, what am I saying? I’m glad you asked! I’m saying that in your current season of life embrace your different. When you are uncomfortable by the way the people you have centered yourself around seem to make your life miserable, take a stand against it by being uniquely righteous, courteous, gentle, a problem solver, not a cocky complainer, have integrity, even if you are the only one, especially knowing God is with you.

I know people that are not of the Christian faith will read this article, yet virtue is virtue, righteousness has no religion. Doing good to other people in your community is a contagious infection that all humanity should try to catch. This is my anthem to all who want to be different. Why? Because being different doesn’t dehumanize, disenfranchise, nor does it delineate from deeds of goodness. Being different takes study, discipline and has great reward. People influenced by these uniquely “Different” people who have died in the last decade like: President Jimmy Carter, George Foreman, Hulk Hogan, Ozzie Osborne, and one of my favorite TV icons, Betty White. These people chose to be different. Some started troubled, but the entire world got to walk with them through Television and see how they developed to be virtuously different.

Our legacy is defined by our distinction. Stepping away from virtuously unfruitful norms assist in creating a space that only you can walk. Exemplifying empathy instead of pity, sympathy instead of separatism, approaching the misguided with understanding instead of undermining them by exploiting their shortcomings. This is the mark of the different.

I’m calling all my readers out, both fans and critics, to take a stand against injustice, to educate and help the socially complex and confused people and not socially bully them. To use your God given platform to inform, reform, and help transform those who are less fortunate than you are. For my Christian community let’s allow our different to look like the real Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus that seems to be different every century. Historically Jesus was different.