Sunshine in the Haze

A wave of ugh flows through me whenever people ask what I do for a living. Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely appreciate the conversation, but it’s a hard question to answer right now.

I could say I write for a living, but I’ve yet to earn from it. I also cook, clean, and support my husband in his endeavors.

The average person would then ask what my husband does, but that’s even harder to answer.

While we’re just getting started, our way of making a living is weird to outsiders. It’s a perfect combination of odds and ends.

The world expects an 18-year-old to not have life figured out, but they don’t expect “odds and ends” to be the answer to making a living. My husband and I often make choices, including nonwork-related things, that leave people staring at us for a minute and saying, “Oh.”

I’m sure you’ve experienced the same thing. 

Maybe you’re a writer and hear the word oh all the time. 
Maybe you don’t know which college you want to go to yet. 
Maybe you’re constantly declining trips to the bar and have people asking why.
Maybe you weird people out by how much you talk about God.

In my last post, I wrote about our identity in Christ, but I started thinking about how hard it is to truly believe what God says about us, especially when the world has a different opinion. 

If you had a hard time soaking in the Scripture I shared, this post is for you.

Why You Weren’t Created to Fit Inside of a Box

In this society, we are “scored” by where we work, what we eat, our past mistakes, our lack of mistakes, etc. We live in a world that puts everything in boxes.

Rebels in one box. Goody two shoes in another box.
Introverts in this box. Extroverts in that box.
Healthy eaters in a box. Junk eaters in a box.

It quickly becomes evident that we’ve adopted an “if this, then that” mindset.

If I say I’m an introvert, you’re led to believe that I don’t enjoy talking to anybody. Same with if I say I love coffee, you may think that I’d choose coffee over tea.

This mindset causes us to try to fit into all of the “stereotype boxes” that have been placed on us.

However, the more I walk with God, the more I realize that not only has He freed me from the guilt of my past, but He has also freed me from the judgment of others.

With God on our side, we can pursue who He created us to be. 

Often, this looks way out of character for our “personality types”. God doesn’t want us to live in a box; He wants us to live in His Spirit, which is starkly different from the ways of the world (Galatians 5:19-26, ESV).

This means that we’re not designed to form around the world but the characteristics of the Spirit.

We are to boldly walk as a chosen generation who has been made holy through the blood of Christ, taking hold of our assigned identity.

Therefore, I can be an introvert—a person who loses energy after hanging out with people—who loves having looong intentional conversations (most of the time 🤪). For me, being an introvert simply means I take the time to listen while having conversations and decide who is a good influence in my life.

It can be the same thing with extroverts. The only difference is they may have more energy to invest in the people of their choosing.

I love coffee, but if it wasn’t for coffee being recommended to me for personal health reasons, I’d choose tea over coffee almost every morning.

And when it comes to me and my husband’s weird work situation right now, it’s where we feel like we need to be.

These things are a prime example of why the “if this, then that” mindset is flawed. We’re all intricately created with different personalities and purposes. No person is the same.

So, if you feel awkward about breaking the mold, remember that it might be a good thing. Don’t let stereotypes hold you back from grasping the freedom of being who God created you to be.

One of the greatest things my husband taught me is that being called weird is one of the highest compliments for a Christian. None of us were created to blend in.

As a friend of my husband once said, “If the world doesn’t think you are over the top for Jesus, God probably thinks you’re a bit too over the top for the world.”

Conclusion

If you struggle with the feeling of not fitting in, pray for God to guide you. You don’t have to fit into a box. You are allowed to take hold of the identity God has given you.

Jesus didn’t fit into the crowds by any means. You’re not meant to either.

If you want to take hold of your true identity, you have to be willing to let go of the world’s opinion of you. We aren’t designed to live in a box; we are meant to live in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-26, ESV)

Question: What is a personality trait you have that feels “out of the box”? How can you use it to glorify God?

Keep praying & hoping,
Autumn Rebecca