Have you ever looked in the mirror and said, “Why did God make me the way I am?” If we are honest, most of us look to other leaders and acknowledge they are stronger, more charismatic, bolder, funnier…a whole list of traits we may not have.

What we often do is compare our worst with someone else’s best. Or as someone else put it, “We compare our behind-the-scenes image with someone else’s highlight reel.” When we look at these other leaders, we don’t see their weaknesses. But we know ours quite well.

Did you ever think that God made you just the way you are for a purpose? God designed you for the role He has put before you. And if you are smart, not only will you accept how the Lord has made you…warts and all… you will embrace your personality.

Now, that doesn’t mean we can’t work on things to become more effective leaders. We can learn leadership techniques. We can sharpen our communication skills. But we don’t need to compare ourselves to others, thinking we should be like them.

Leadership guru Zig Ziglar (there was NO ONE like him) says it is a mistake to compare ourselves to others:

“You are not inferior or superior to any human being…You do not determine your success by comparing yourself to others; rather, you determine your success by comparing your accomplishments to your capabilities. You are ‘number one’ when you do the best you can with what you have.”

Another has said the only one we should compare ourselves to is who we were yesterday.

I wonder if God’s leaders in Old Testament days had to deal with these things. What about Joshua following Moses? God set His prophet straight right after Joshua became the new leader. I like how Eugene Peterson bluntly paraphrases that passage. I think he captures the sense of God’s direction for Joshua’s leadership role:

Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people.

Joshua 1:2 MSG

It’s as if the Lord were saying, “Look, Joshua, Moses is not in the picture and isn’t coming back. I’m pressing on with you. Get going!”

I wonder if Ezekiel pondered why God chose him for some of the hard tasks he was given, feeling a bit inadequate for the job. Again, the Lord was forthright with His prophet, letting Ezekiel know he was made a certain way for the role the Lord had for him. It wasn’t going to be easy passing on God’s message to a rebellious people. The Lord already knew that.

Again, Eugene Peterson captures the sense of purpose God has in making His servants the way they are:

They won’t listen to you because they won’t listen to me. They are, as I said, a hard case, hardened in their sin. But I’ll make you as hard in your way as they are in theirs. I’ll make your face as hard as rock, harder than granite. Don’t let them intimidate you. Don’t be afraid of them, even though they’re a bunch of rebels.

Ezekiel 3:7-9 MSG

Another translation has the Lord saying, “…I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are.” (NLT) Pretty direct.

God has designed you…your personality, your experience, your physical makeup…for His specific task. Accept His design in your life and accomplish the job He puts before you as no one else can. You are something special!

God’s best,