My Homemade Paperclip Retainer

When I was in elementary school, I noticed how some of the middle school kids were getting braces.

For whatever reason, the ones I noticed all seemed to be cool, popular kids.

I wanted to be like them…

So I wanted braces too.

I bent a paperclip and fashioned it into a homemade retainer.

Funny, huh?

Sometimes we try so hard to fit in, be popular, and look like a cool kid.

We copy and emulate. We want to blend in and we do our best to not stand out.

Ephesians chapter 4 has this big section of verses about unity. It says things like…

“You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction.”

“Stay together—both outwardly and inwardly.”

“You have one faith, one God.”

Then it says something fascinating…

“But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same.”

“Each of us is given his own gift.”

This is big. And I don’t think people understand it.

Being unified and being unique are not opposites.

It’s not one or the other… unique OR unified.

It’s not one at the expense of the other…

Not unity AT THE EXPENSE OF uniqueness, or uniqueness AT THE EXPENSE OF unity.

It’s unique AND unified. That’s what God has for us.

We’re working together—serving the same God, on the same mission.

We’re on the same page.

We’re one.

AND we’re uniquely gifted, graced, and empowered by God.

We’re not copying and emulating.

We aren’t afraid to stand out.

We are unified and unique.