Born To Stand Out — Aneel Aranha

Hello and welcome to The Hope Podcast. I’m Aneel Aranha. Today, we will talk about how you are meant to stand out, so don’t try to fit in.    

It is human nature to want to belong to a community. Unfortunately, if we want to be a part of a group, we have to do what everybody in the group does. So when they gossip, we gossip. When they give rein to their addictions, we join in. When they want to gang up on somebody or ostracize them, we get on board, too. If we don’t, even though we might not want to, we become the odd person out and are ejected faster than we can say, Indiana Jones. So, we try to fit in by being like everybody else. 

But we are not called to be like everybody else. We are different. We are set apart. As Jesus puts it plainly, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. But you do not belong to the world, because I have chosen you out of the world” (see John 15:19). 

God has chosen us out of the world for a particular purpose, a special reason. We are, as Peter says, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that we may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

God’s mightiest act is, of course, salvation. Since Jesus promises that those who proclaim it will work mighty acts themselves in his name (see Mark 16:15-18), this means that those of us who proclaim salvation will do some pretty amazing things. But we can’t do this as long as we are one of the world. Honestly, that is easier! Being part of the world is like being part of a shoal of fish swimming downstream, but even a dead fish can do this! However, to swim upstream against the current—going against peer pressure, going against political correctness, going against the wishes and will of the majority—takes courage. It is brave, it is heroic, it is grand, and it carries us to our destiny. 

In history, many remarkable individuals have chosen to stand out rather than blend in. Consider the example of Rosa Parks, the courageous African-American woman. In 1955, she refused to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her defiance ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was pivotal in the civil rights movement. 

Rosa Parks stood up for what she believed in despite immense pressure to conform to the discriminatory norms of her time. Her determination to stand out led to transformative change and inspired countless others to do the same. Just like Rosa Parks, we can make a difference by embracing our uniqueness and boldly stepping into our purpose.

So, dear friend, don’t try to fit in. You are meant to stand out. Destiny awaits.

God bless you.