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Growing up I always felt different, mostly because I didn’t fit in with my peers. I could never keep up with the newest trends, wearing the latest fashions, using the newest catch phrases, or wearing the most expensive shoes. The teaching I received in the church reinforced this feeling that I was different than the world.  Feeling different made me feel alone, and I often felt like Elijah thinking I was “the only one” (1 Ki. 19:14).

God’s chosen people have always been different from the world.  During the Mosaic dispensation, God’s chosen people the Israelites had to keep some very strange customs.  They could not eat: rabbits, pigs, camels, crabs, storks, bats or blood (Lev. 11; 17:14). They had to circumcise their infant sons (Gen. 17:10-13). Working on the seventh day of the week was forbidden; they couldn’t even start a fire! (Ex. 35:3).  Wearing clothing made of more than one kind of fiber was a no, no (Deut. 22:11).  And they couldn’t seek spiritualists, diviners, or soothsayers (Lev. 19:26, 31). These customs made the Israelites stand out as weirdoes, crazies, and close minded religious fanatics.  They were ostracized from the world around them, and were targeted repeatedly by Satan to neglect their religious obligations, abandon their unique customs, and worship the idols of the world.  In regards to the food regulations the Israelites kept, some today have claimed that God required them because those forbidden foods are not healthy to eat.  Perhaps there are some foods listed that are not good for everyone.  However I believe the purpose of these food regulations along with the others was simply to develop a mindset in Gods chosen people that they were different than the cultures around them.

Today, in the dispensation of Christ, His followers are God’s chosen people.  A lot of things changed with the change of dispensations , but one thing remained the same, God’s chosen people are different.  Followers of Christ have several strange customs that set them apart from the world.  They say what they mean, and they mean what they say.  Jesus said, “Let your yes, be yes, and your no be no” (Matt. 5:33-37). Christian’s view troubles and trials very different from the world and actually rejoice when they encounter them (James 1:2). The way followers of Christ dress is very different from the world. The world views clothing as a way of enticing sexual lust, showing off their social status, and holding to the idea that less is best.  Followers of Christ view clothing as a reminder of their sin and inadequacy to be righteous through their own power.  They dress modestly, not revealing any part of their body God intents for them to cover (1 Tim. 2:9).  The love Christians display is different from the world. Jesus said to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48). The way the world views marriage is vastly different from God’s chosen people.  Jesus taught that marriage is a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, each one having no obligations to a previous marriage (Matt. 5:31-32).

These practices, customs, and the lifestyle of God’s chosen people make them stand out like sore thumbs.  This puts them in the spotlight and causes them a lot of harassment, ridicule, and condemnation from the culture around them.  Every scolding condemnation as a “legalistic”, “close minded”, “holier than thou” “campbellite” puts the Christian’s faith to the test.  That however is all part of being one of God’s different people. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”  (2 Tim.3:12). Satan tempts Christians to “go with the flow” and “relax.” “After all”, he reasons, “even the Bible says we have to live in the world”. However, while friendship with the world may bring temporary comfort and benefits, it will make us an enemy of God (James 4:4).

God has decided to make His chosen people different and because of that I am different. I have accepted that I will always be different, weird or fanatical in the eyes of the world, and that is okay. Because of that I will never really feel completely comfortable living in this world. I will always yearn for something more than, something beyond, this life. My value of life will not be measured in monetary gain or prestige, but in the increase of the knowledge of the word of God, in souls I helped save, and in my ability to help those in need. And I believe that is exactly the result God was looking for when He decided that His people would be different.

Are you different?