Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
What is a paper town? That was the question I tried to resolve as I tuned in to the radio yesterday amid a discussion about paper towns. I had never heard of the term before and I was curious. Apparently, a paper town is a fake town created by cartographers to protect the copyright of their map. Mapmakers put fake streets, fake towns and fake bridges in their maps, so if they see those same fake places appearing on someone else’s map, they immediately know that they’ve been robbed. The paper towns and trap streets help mapmakers prove that copyright infringement has occurred. It’s an age-old practice to keep copycats at bay.
Our verse today tells us not to copy the behaviour and customs of this world. That’s not our purpose. Instead of blending into our copycat culture and becoming carbon copies of one another, we are meant to be unique. That begins with the realisation of David who wrote:
…I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 (KJV)
God carefully mixed the DNA recipe that created you. David praised God for this incredible personal attention to detail in designing each of us:
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous. Psalm 139:14 (NLT)
In a world of roughly seven billion people you have a unique calling on your life and unique gifting to make that calling possible. You are essentially one of a kind. God has created each of us differently right down to our fingertips. No one else has been given exactly the same makeup as God has given you. I admire the title of a book by John Mason which states, “You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.”
The Bible tells us:
God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. Romans 12:6 (TLB)
Furthermore, it instructs us:
…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
In other words, each one of us has the ability to do certain things well and we should use the unique abilities God has given us for His glory. What are some of the unique traits you possess – skills, strengths, passions? Take an inventory and consider your list with fresh eyes today. How could these traits be used to connect others to God and intentionally glorify Him?