Separating Yourself From the Crowd
2 Chronicles 6:8
"But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:"
One thing many people try to do is to make themselves different from the crowd. Most people simply don't want to blend into the crowd. You can walk through a public place and see that many people have weird and outlandish hair and dress styles to separate themselves from the crowd. Many sports figures want to separate from the crowd and strive to be the best athlete. People in workplaces desire to separate them from the crowd so they can move up the executive ladder. Many people have a desire to be different from the crowd.
Especially, when it comes to God, you should never want to be one of the crowd. When it comes to God you should desire to separate yourself from the crowd. David was successful at separating himself from the crowd. When God looked for someone to become king after Saul sinned, David separated himself from the crowd and was chosen by God. You can see in the verse above that he separated himself from the crowd by desiring to build a house for God. Was he the only one who desired to build a house for God? I don't know because the Scriptures don't say, but I seriously doubt that he was the only one.
So, what was it that caused David to be separated from the crowd? I believe the thing that separated David from everyone else was his heart. Twice God specifically mentions David's heart as the thing that separated him from the crowd. When he was chosen to be king above his brethren, it was his heart that separated him from the others. When it came to building a house for God, it was David's heart that God honored in allowing his son to build a house for Him. It wasn't his talent that separated him, but his heart. It wasn't his looks that separated him, but his heart. The heart of David separated him from the crowd in the sight of God.
If you want to be separated from the crowd, then you need to work on your heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "...for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." God shows us specifically in this verse that the heart is what will separate you from everyone else. We often hear the importance of production, and I believe that is important, but the heart is what separates you from the crowd in the sight of God. If you would spend as much time working on your heart as you do in trying to be successful in every other area, I truly believe you would be able to separate yourself from the crowd.
Let me ask you, is the sincerity of your heart different than everyone else? Is the desire of your heart to please God different than everyone else? Christian, you can work on the outward appearance to impress everyone, but you will fail at impressing God. God delights in the person whose heart is tender and contrite towards Him. Until you come to the point where you forget about trying to impress man, then you will never separate yourself from the crowd. If you will have the type of heart that solely wants to please God, then you will be able to separate yourself from the crowd.