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Which commandment is the greatest of all? Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:28'31 WEB.

When they asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He told them: "Love God, and Love others." This is first and foremost, but after that, be yourself. Some of the most remarkable people I know are uniquely themselves. They try and be no one else and resist trying to fit into a Christian template someone else formed in their minds. Love God, love others, and be who He created you to be.

God created you with your personality, characteristics, skills, likes, dislikes, wants, and desires. Some people like macaroni and cheese, and some don't. I do. God crafted you with His loving hands to be who you are. You are not a mistake. So don't throw away your uniqueness by trying to be like someone else. You can be a mediocre imitation of them or a wonderful you.

I love electronics and gadgets. I also love the word of God and the stories in the Bible. I have always wanted to bring them together. When I was young, I wanted to go into ministry. But when I tried to follow the typical path, I was like a fish out of water, and I found every door closed. I didn't seem to belong in that type of ministry.

Most of the people I went to bible college with were proud not to own a computer. They were considered taboo then, the devil's dark playground. During this era in the South, many people associated computers with the mark of the beast and the direct work of satan. They couldn't see how it could ever be used for good. I tried to give our pastor one I built, but he said something like: "I've heard bad things about those machines."

The religious people I knew made me feel ashamed of owning one, so I kept my garage full of computer parts a dark secret. At night, I quietly worked on things like creating a digital mp3 version of an audio bible to listen to because my cassette tapes kept getting eaten. Soon I had the Bible in digital form, looping from Genesis to Revelation on a computer in my workshop around the clock. Anytime I walked in, there was a different book from the Bible playing.

The Lord made me the opposite of a technophobe, intentionally and for a purpose. My desk is commonly covered with broken computers. Macs, Linux, Windows, I use all three every day to do what we do here. Accompanied by Virtual machines, iPads, Androids, Chrome books, XU4s, and a Raspberry Pi or two. When my wife Sylvia sees the side of my computer open with a few extra hard drives hanging out of it, she thinks nothing of it. That is my comfort zone.

When the Lord finally pushed us into ministry, it was through an online church running on computers, which fits who we are. I am no longer a fish out of the water, and my peers would feel out of place if they were forced to be me. We are all created differently to fulfill a purpose that others cannot. So be yourself, and if you are not, it's never too late to get started.

No matter what you have done in the past, you can be forgiven. No matter how badly you have broken it, it can be repaired. No matter how far away you have drifted, the Lord is waiting for your return. God loves you, and He still has a plan and a purpose for your life. So don't look down on yourself because you don't seem to fit inside a mold that someone else created. Their clothes were never meant for you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please lead me into all that You have for me. Help me find the place where I belong. Put Your desires in my heart, guide me, speak to me, and through me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Ladies, today is Thankful Thursday at the "Ladies in Distress" group (our RHM women's group)! You are welcome to join in our weekly sharing of thankfulness for the Lord's presence and any blessings you may have experienced, big or small! "Ladies in Distress" is a private group, so if you have any problems joining, just post anywhere and we will help you :). Here is the link: Ladies in Distress

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