It has been proven that even identical twins have different DNAs. If that is the case, what is God telling us about our uniqueness? I believe He is telling us to be different, not to conform to the world’s standards, to be in the world but not of the world. I know this is hard and seems to be a paradox, especially in a world where we are told to be a team player—not an individual—or to play, coach, or live for our own agendas.

God does expect us to be a team player, yet He calls us to be different at the same time. In football, everyone wears the same uniform, yet has different responsibilities. We are the Body of Christ, one team, united under the blood-stained banner, yet all with diverse responsibilities and gifts. First Peter 2:9 gives us guidance on daring to be different. As we read that passage, we see that we are all on one team—in the world but not of the world—and that we are called to be different. God’s guidance on being different includes:

Selected. God chose you to be different from everyone else.

Servant. God called you to service.

Sanctified. God set you apart for an eternal purpose.

Zealous. We should be excited to be on His team, the winning team!