Remaining Unlike the Rest

What It Takes to Remain Unlike the Rest?

What It Takes for You to Become the Difference – Part 2

I could easily say it this way. What does it take to remain the best? That’s what it means to be unlike the rest. In previous installments we talked about how Nehemiah saw his thirty-thousand-foot prayer answered and his return to the king of Babylon. ^[1]

After some time, when Nehemiah was permitted by the king to return to Jerusalem, he found that the people and leaders had already begun to turn back to the way of living that led to the ruin of their great city in the first place. What happened? Ordinary happened. Common happened. When uncommon leaders aren’t present, the organization, the city, the household, the church will begin to erode. 

Nehemiah, however, was the type of leader who led the people in an uncommon way; he sought a better way of leading. It’s said that he went back to the commands of Moses. That means they had gotten away from the uncommon path which led them to the ruin that they had seen prior to Nehemiah and ever since Moses.

The word uncommon is a word I substitute for the word “holy.” Have you ever considered why God says He wants you and me to be “holy” like Him? ^[2] Uncommon like Him? Who else will? You must be “holy” which means exceptional, not like anyone else, because there aren’t many who will. And to be Frank, you can be, because He wants to help you with that. 

You’ve become familiar with uncommon results. 
Once you experience the results of a thirty-thousand-foot prayer and have taken the journey with God, who is uncommon, one becomes quite familiar with what’s not normal. In other words, you get comfortable and even accustomed to having uncommon results occur in your life.  Can you see the problem forming here?

You’ve seen this before, maybe even experienced it or know someone who has. Their life was getting better as long as they were coming to church, but as soon as they stopped, their lives began to revert. Why is that? They’d been experiencing uncommon results that come as a result of being around uncommon people. When they stopped being around uncommon people and began moving back towards the common, their lives began to pick up common results again. Jesus said it this way, remain connected with me and I with you and you will produce good results. Your life will produce good results. However, if you disconnect from me, like a branch disconnected from the vine, your life will be resultless or produce very few results. ^[3]

Just like you can become familiar with uncommon results, by nature you’re familiar with common results. I say choose the uncommon. Become familiar with uncommon results again.

You see the difference between what’s normal and what is uncommon.
Upon Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem, he noticed the difference that was occurring. He saw a city that had the potential to remain very productive, but was settling for the very thing that had made it unproductive. Nehemiah saw a difference between what is common and what is uncommon, what the Bible calls “holy.” ^[4] The same applies to you in your home, your business, you school, your church, etc. You’ve been commissioned to be the one who leads others to be and remain very productive. You see what they can’t; the difference between common and uncommon. You’re connected to the true-vine, what I call the life support system of Jesus. 

Because you now can see the difference, you have the opportunity to be the difference. In fact, that’s why you’re able to see differently. You’ve been given a gift to be unlike the rest and teach others how to do the same. You see the difference between what’s normal and what’s uncommon.

You have what others need to be extraordinary.
Unfortunately not everyone has what they need to be extraordinary. However, the person who’s experienced a thirty-thousand-foot prayer does. Oftentimes we underestimate what we have in our possession, the skills we have, the talent we’re gifted, and even the experiences we’ve shared. God said to Moses what do you have in your hand? ^[5]

Sometimes we just need a reminder that we have something that very few others have and because of it, we have what someone else is waiting on to be extraordinary. Myles Munroe said it this way, “serve the world your gift.” That’s your mission in life, to serve others what you’re created for. You have what others need to be extraordinary.

The gist of the story of Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem was this. He was unlike the rest and for those in Jerusalem to remain unlike the rest they would need Nehemiah’s influence. More important, the people around you need you to step up and be the difference maker in their life. I know it’s a big ask of you, but who else is going to do it? Who else better than you, a believer, is going to step up and lead the way? Who else amongst your friends is going to take the responsibility of bringing your friend up to the next level? Who else in your household is going to do it if you don’t?

It’s not time to turn back because our prayer has been answered, it’s time for us to return so that we can lead others into becoming the difference maker that we’ve been.

Question: if you could make a difference in the life of someone else, what difference would you make?

Reference #1: ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭13:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed February 11, 2021, https://www.bible.com/116/neh.13.6-7.nlt
Reference #2: ‭‭‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed February 11, 2021, https://www.bible.com/116/1pe.1.16.nlt
Reference #3: ‭‭‭‭‭‭John‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed February 11, 2021, https://www.bible.com/116/jhn.15.4.nlt
Reference #4: ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭44:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed February 11, 2021, https://www.bible.com/116/ezk.44.23.nlt
Reference #5: ‭‭‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed February 11, 2021, https://www.bible.com/116/exo.4.2.nlt
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.