Our quirks and peculiarities are a strength as we strive to become more Christlike.
I wear a dinosaur backpack around my college campus. I always arrive ridiculously early to the airport. Every year I celebrate several made-up holidays, such as the anniversary of the first time I got stitches. My quirks make me who I am, and I was always afraid of sacrificing what makes me interesting in the process of perfection. In my first semester of college, I was comforted by Julie Crockett’s BYU devotional, “Discovering Your Divine Individuality,” in which she addresses the paradox between being ourselves and becoming like Christ. If we are all seeking to emulate the same person, will we eventually lose what makes us unique?
Photo by Sincerely Media
Crockett assures us that our differences are not only acceptable but essential as we all serve each other. Our unique qualities introduce new perspectives to those around us, and all these diverse perspectives ultimately help improve the world. Crockett says, “As our knowledge grows and our hearts change on our quest to be more like Christ, we do not lose our individuality but come to know our true, eternal, and individual self.” It may seem counterintuitive, but as we are attempting to become like the same person, we are strengthening our individual attributes and becoming better, more unique versions of ourselves. People can be athletic, academic, extroverted, introverted, creative, logical, technological, old-fashioned, romantic, and practical. None of these attributes will prevent us from drawing closer to Christ.
Rather than hiding or trying to eliminate our quirks, we should embrace the things that make us different. These qualities will help us create a fuller, more interesting world and help us serve others in unique ways.
Read more about the importance of embracing your uniqueness in Julie Crockett’s devotional, “Discovering Your Divine Individuality.”
Source: BYU Speeches
—Kate Blatter, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY TOM CHEN
Find more insights
Check out Anna Freeman’s article “You Were Meant to Be Different” for another perspective on Julie Crockett’s devotional.
Take a look at R. Maren Skidmore’s article “We Always Have a Place With God” to learn about how God always accepts us.