Philippians 2:14-16
Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
It’s okay to be different.
That’s a message we’ve tried to share with our kids. It’s okay to be different when you believe different is the right thing to be. That’s not always an easy thing to hold on to when your peers are doing something you don’t really want to do. The pressure to fit in, to be accepted, can be so strong.
And this isn’t just my kids, or yours, or restricted to adolescence at all. It’s a struggle for adults – for us – too. Which is why Paul writes the Philippians and encourages them to be different. Don’t murmur; don’t argue; get along; care for each other; hold on to each other. Be different.
We call this kind of encouragement “exhortation,” and by that we usually mean urging someone to do what is right. But it’s more than just a morality thing; it’s also an identity thing.
Keep in mind what Paul has just been talking about. He’s urged the Philippians to adopt the mindset, attitude, and stance of Jesus, the one who gave up all for the sake of love, love for us. More than that, Paul’s urged them to accept God’s invitation be loved, renewed, and transformed. And now he’s encouraging them to remember who they are – not children of the world, with no hope but to run after acceptance by fitting in, by doing whatever everyone else is doing simply because everyone else is doing it.
Rather, they are children of God. And so he invites them to be different because they are different – adopted and blessed by God and intended to shine like stars by their willingness to share love when the world says hold back, to work for peace when the world urges war, and to seek reconciliation when the world wants to divide everyone into sides.
Be different because you are different. Be different because you are God’s beloved children. Be different to make me, Paul, proud. Be different because you might inspire others to be different too. Be different, finally, because you can.
The funny thing is, of course, that when my kids, or you and me, or the Philippians dare to be different, we discover that different is often just what the world needs.
Prayer: Dear God, remind us of who we are – your beloved and oh so different children, created in your image and destined to shine like stars as we share your love for the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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