Trouble MakersSample

//Misfit//

I recall the very first time I felt out of place with my group of friends. It was the weirdest feeling in the world. How could the group of people that I had been extremely close with and had built so many great memories with, suddenly feel so foreign? Even the things that once entertained me began to feel wrong. I began to feel out of place, like an outcast. I began to question why my friends had changed, but they weren’t the ones that changed... it was me.

The minute we give our lives over to God, we are literally giving Him free reign to do a work in us. In other words, He begins to make us new. The old you is out the door and now there’s a new you. This new you has something called conviction, it’s your moral compass. This is why your old crew feels foreign when they’re not living the way you’re living. You become a “misfit.” We think of misfits as individuals who are just really unique in their style, music and taste, but the definition of being a misfit is: a person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others in an uncomfortably conspicuous way.

When you come to into a relationship with Jesus your life is immediately set on a new course. Your new course is so different that your life and walk with God will make others uncomfortable. Not only do your friends feel foreign to you, but you become foreign to your friends as well. This is precisely what happens in Acts 4:13. These leaders had noticed that Peter and John, two ordinary men with no special training in theology, had a boldness like no other. When we are set apart, we are given spiritual boldness. This boldness can only come from time spent with Jesus.

Your life as a “misfit” is one that will challenge the status quo of our culture. God doesn’t set us apart to fit in to the mold of our society, He sets us apart to stand out. Not in a way to puff up our egos, but in a manner that will reflect God’s goodness to a world that’s hurting. Today, you have an opportunity to be a “misfit” for God. Don’t compromise your beliefs just to fit in, instead be glad that you are uniquely gifted and talented to be a MISFIT.

1) REFLECT: What are some areas you have compromised your beliefs to fit the cultural mold?

2) REACH: How can the people in your life benefit from your being set apart?

3. RESPOND: Pray, “Lord, today I recognize that you have called me to more than just fit in to society, you’ve called me to help shape it in a way that will give you glory. Help me to embrace being a misfit, for you.”