Standing Out

I remember being a young girl in school. I was always looking at the other girls trying to figure out how to be more like them. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be liked. I mean…don’t we all? I would watch how they would act and how they dressed. I would watch how others just fawned over them. I could not figure out how to get myself there. I had a hearing loss. My hearing aids stuck out like a sore thumb. I certainly couldn’t socialize the same way. I did not have the money to buy the clothes they had, and I was as quirky as could be. I hated standing out and being left out. It was lonely.

I have been reading about Noah. He was a guy who stood out in a different way.

“So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:7-9 (ESV)

It says that Noah found favor with the Lord. The Dictionary.com app defines favor as; “the state of being approved or held in regard.”

God approved Noah. What caused him to be approved by God? I wanted to understand what it was that made Him find favor with God. Here is it says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”

The Dictionary.com app defines righteous as; “acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous; a righteous and godly person.” Blameless is defined as; “free from or not deserving blame; guiltless; a blameless child.”

It sounds to me like Noah lived in a way that was pleasing to God. I wonder if that was an easy thing or a tough thing for him. He was living in a generation where he seemed to be the only one who found favor with God.

Noah walked with God. God talked to him, and he spoke to God. He sought God in His life. That set him apart. When we walk with God, We get to know God. He speaks to us, and we talk to Him. We seek God for wisdom in our decisions. We look to God’s word for instruction and direction. This practice helps us to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

I know I find that the more I walk with God, the closer I get to Him. I become more like Him than the world around me. I start to stand out in ways that are uncomfortable at times. I begin to look a little crazy to the world around me. I imagine that Noah felt the same way.

It isn't fun or comfortable to stand out, but to stand out in his generation, saved Noah and his family's lives. Share on X

I have come a long ways from my school days. I look around and I still struggle with comparison some days. I sometimes feel less than according to the world around me but the more I walk with God the more I desire to be like Him and to have His approval. I don’t want to look and sound like this world. I don’t need eveyone to like me so I can feel worth something anymore.

“To be obedient to God and live the convictions He gives us can cause us to stand out and stand alone just like Noah did in his time. Share on X

People will mock us and laugh at us. They will call us names and say we are crazy. What will we do in those moments? Will we give in to the pressure and the enemy’s lies to us or will we stand out and stand firm?

I pray I always stand out, even when it means I stand alone. Share on X

Noah knew God, He knew He was who He said He was. He trusted Him fully and He lived that in action. May we do the same.

Lord, I pray for strength and boldness to stand out. I pray as we walk with You that You would give us courage, perseverance, and a love for you and others so we might be a light for You in this dark world. May people see what it means to walk with You in us. May they be drawn to You through that example. In Jesus Name, Amen!