John 2:24-25 “Jesus . . . knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.”
Cookie-cutter: marked by sameness and a lack of originality; mass-produced. We don’t like to think of ourselves as just a part of the crowd, do we? Don’t we want to be viewed as originals, as there’s no-one-else-like-us individuals? I believe there’s a reason for this longing: it’s how God made us. Our Creator God does not reside in the cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all business.
For example, look how Jesus called his disciples.
Take Andrew. Originally a disciple of John the Baptist, but when John pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God, Andrew left John and followed (John 1:37). Immediately, Andrew found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and saw him beyond his present, impetuous, unstable self. He pointedly called him Peter the “rock.” And Peter followed.
The next day Jesus called Philip. Philip then found his buddy, Nathanael, and told him they had discovered the long-awaited Messiah. When Nathanael met Jesus, Jesus addressed him prophetically, declaring, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” And how did Nathanael respond to having this stranger (a Nazarite, no less), read his mail? “Rabbi, you are the son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:47;49).
Jesus knew his first followers better than they knew themselves. He understood their differences, so he called them in a way unique to each one. They had different strengths, different weaknesses, varying concepts of servanthood, and diverse levels of faith. Each disciple had a particular role to play in the ministry. They did not lose their personalities when they came to Christ, they gained purified ones.
And so will we. When we say yes to this great adventure of following Jesus, he will treat us differently than he does every other person. He will weave together our particular experiences, personalities and gifts in ways to show the world what he looks like through us. His purifying love will turn us into the one-of-a-kind he created us to be.
Don’t waste your time comparing yourself with other people. Not for a New York minute. God wants you to be you because no one has the ability to do it better. There’s nothing cookie-cutter about it!