Who do We think We Are?

Lana Michelle Moorer (MC Lyte) was the honoree on this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards.  Amazing woman, beautiful human being!  Her last words during her speech were, “If you want to be treated like a queen, ACT LIKE ONE”!  Those words took me back to Sunday’s sermon about knowing who you are, whose you are, and what you possess! 

We have learned to compare ourselves to others: we compare our physical features, finances, material possessions, and popularity.  I am guilty of this as well. I used to (and still do) look at people who I perceived to be doing better than me and think, why can’t that be me? I was constantly comparing myself to others and becoming frustrated when my life didn’t go as planned.  The comparisons only led to competition!  What I have found is that comparing myself to the next distracts me from my purpose.  When I competed for the wrong purpose, I came up short every time.

We all can’t be millionaires, rappers, world class athletes or Barack and Michelle and, to be honest, most of us couldn’t handle that life.  Instead, we should only compare ourselves to what we used to be (thanks Joe Budden) and to what we want to be.  We have to learn to love what we already have and we will have more to love!  As a child of God, I know that I am “fearfully” and “wonderfully” made (Psalms 139:14)!  It’s time we recognized that each of us has a gift inside, just waiting to be shared.  We should expect greater and live greater than our circumstances.  You never know the struggles or insecurities that chick with the coke bottle shape and 30 inch weave has, or what those guys buying bottles in VIP have been through.  Love yourself for who you are and what you are! Your biggest opponent is YOU!  And I leave you with the words of Janelle Monae:

“Even if it makes others uncomfortable

I wanna love who I am

Even if it makes others uncomfortable

I will love who I am”

-GrannyBee