A PECULIAR WALK WITH GOD

God created every individual unique and different from the other person. If you look at the palms of your hand very carefully and compare it with the palms of another member of your family, you would discover that there are differences.

The dictionary defines peculiar as ‘different from what is normal or generally expected’; this could also mean ‘not following the general expectations, different or special”. The peculiarity of an individual makes him/her the only person with a particular set of fingerprints despite having different family members. This makes it clear that you are unique and as part of God’s design, He relates with you as unique – to the tune of your mandate, core purpose and assignment on earth. In all of this, your uniqueness makes your walk with God a peculiar one.

He relates with you as unique – to the tune of your mandate, core purpose and assignment on earth. In all of this, your uniqueness makes your walk with God a peculiar one.

Relating with God is personal

One good example is the encounter of Jesus and Peter before His final ascension in John 21:20-22 (MSB)

Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind.

When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?” Jesus said, ‘If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You-follow me.”

It had always been clear to the Disciples that John the beloved was specially loved by Jesus and as Jesus was giving His final admonition to Peter, it was natural for the Disciple to wonder what would happen to John after the departure of Jesus. The response of Jesus in all of these was ‘You-follow me’! This reveals that Jesus was pointing out that each person has his/her own particular course.

No one has been called into a general walk but into a personal walk.

Each person has a deliberate assignment and purpose to fulfill in the body of Christ, and this is different from the next person’s. The question then is ‘Is your walk with God peculiar or general?’; Do you wait to see the pattern the generality of people would take, so you can follow the same, or you are unique in your relationship with God?

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: KJV

The First Peter passage corroborates the peculiarity of your walk with God. The scripture emphasized that ‘ye should shew forth’, not that ‘we all’. A lot of people would rather wait to see where the majority were headed and follow, they fast only because the majority are fasting within a particular period, and they go for evangelism only when the church is ‘going-a-fishing’. When Jesus was preaching all around, He selected just 12 from the entire people living in the land, despite having a large number base to choose from. He would often withdraw from the crowd because He knew all men (John 2: 24-25) and did not entrust His life or ministry to them. Jesus does not work with the crowd of men, but A MAN who is ready to stand out from the majority and be deliberate in his interaction with God. The fact is that God wants you to know Him for and by yourself, walk with Him as such and He deals with you likewise.

Walking with God in a unique way is often a lonely journey for anyone who is fully persuaded and has purposed to keep on moving. In Jeremiah 1: 5, God was confirming to Jeremiah that he had been ordained as a prophet long before he was born, in short God was affirming to Jeremiah not to look at his peers who had other roles, but his own assignment was unique to him, so would be his walk as God demonstrated that by touching his lips to equip him.

Walking with God based on the generality of people has its consequences. I will list out some below:

1. The copy-cat syndrome: It leads to an adaptation of your originality. After the crucifixion of Jesus, Simon Peter was together with six other Disciples and he announced to them his desire to go fishing – thus leaving the assignment that Jesus had commissioned them for. Immediately he announced his plan, the others replied ‘we are going with you’. They made that decision without realizing that each person’s walk is different and because they all forgot their peculiarity and the plans of Jesus for them. Choosing the copycat syndrome will reduce your peculiarity in the presence of God and you become general to the point of catching absolutely nothing despite all the toiling in the night.

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2. Your knowledge of God becomes limited: Have you ever asked yourself why God chose Abraham in Gen. 12 out of all the people in the land of Haran? Something must have struck a chord in the heart of Abraham that prompted him to know God more. If he chose the generality of people, he would have lost out of the deep knowledge of God and becoming the Father of many nations eventually.

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3. Your convictions about God would be based on the popular opinion rather than being fully persuaded: A genuine conversion of a man that brings about the desired transformation described in Romans 12:1 is only possible when you have your own personal convictions, such that when the storms of life come, you would know who you are and you can stand. David, the small shepherd boy, despite having 7 older brothers, had his personal convictions about God, which made God to consider him as a ‘man after God’s heart”

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A topsy-turvy spiritual journey occurs when a believer stops walking with God peculiarly. Seeking to follow Him even if you have to stand alone in the crowd should be your pursuit. Apostle Paul described the convictions that come from walking with God peculiarly.

Rom 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. KJV

As a joint heir with Christ, realize that you are unique, different from the crowd and you have to seek to know God for and by yourself.

God bless you!

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