I heard a quote the other day that summed up what God had been teaching me over the past couple of days. Joel Osteen said this; “Give people room to be who God made them to be. If God wanted us to all look, think & act alike, He would have made us that way.” I often face this challenge with my own children. Some of them are really good at one thing while others are good at something else. I find myself comparing them to each other in my mind and hoping that they will just act the way I want them to.

The Lord has really been teaching me in those moments to stop and think about who He made them to be. They are ALL very different and beautifully unique. They all have strengths and weaknesses and it is my job to help them develop into the individual that He created them to be, NOT who I want them to be! There is a BIG difference. I need to give them grace to grow and room to develop their unique abilities.

I would challenge you this week to embrace the differences and unique strengths that each of your children have. Be thankful for who God is making them to be and recognize that they were not created to be like each other. I think that if, as parents, we can teach them this, then they will feel confident as they grow up to explore their God-given identity.

The Lord commands us to love Him will all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and to love others as we love ourselves. (Matthew 28) I believe that each family and member of that family will express this love in different ways. If we all make that our mission and give eachother room to grow then we will revolutionize the world!!

May you be blessed as you watch the unqiue characters and traits in your family come alive today!