I was reading The Writer’s Devotional by Amy Peters when
I came across an interesting quote. Mikhail Baryshnikov, a Russian dancer said
“I do not dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than
myself.” Baryshnikov meant this in terms of dancing. Peters intended the quote
in terms of writing, but I think that this quote can be applied in terms of
Christianity as well.
How many times do we not achieve the greatness that God has intended
for us because we are too busy trying to dance like someone, trying to write
like someone else, or even trying to believe like someone else? We cannot fully
do what God is calling us to do, if we are trying to do it the way someone else
does. 1 Corinthians 12 clearly paints a picture of this. This passage explains
that each body part, such as the hand, foot, and eye, has a different function,
but each part is just as important. The same is true for us. We were each
designed differently to fulfill a specific purpose that only we can fill. My
purpose is not the same as your purpose, but our purposes are equally important
in God’s eyes. If we waste our time trying to compare ourselves to others we
will not be able to fulfill what God is calling us to do.
“I do not dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance
better than myself.” Mikhail Baryshnikov. I encourage you to take in the words
of this quote. Do not try to dance better than someone else. Do not try to be
better than someone else. Only live up to the standards that God has set for
your own life.
