A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from Jenni, a close friend of mine who lives in California. She said, "Even though we live a thousand miles apart, only see each other in the summers, and haven't talked for months, our connection is so much deeper than all of that. We share common beliefs, morals, and values, and we both want to serve God. I have come to appreciate your friendship more and more. I have not found one student in my school that shares the same morals or values as I do. It is all so shallow."

Like Jenni, I’m glad to have a friend who is making her stand for Christ and not compromising. She and I are from different denominations, yet we have so much in common. And it hit me: out of more than 600 students in her parochial high-school, Jenni feels like she is the only one who is trying to make a difference. She is that "one voice."

One of my favorite writers says, "A Christian can do the most for the world when she [or he] is least like it. If you want to be a leader, you've got to be different."

She also challenges, “People don’t follow a crowd. Rather, they become part of a crowd that is following one person. Be that person.”1

It’s not easy to be different! It’s scary to be different! I’m different. I have only a few friends who don’t think my views, morals, or beliefs are strange!

Jesus was different. He didn’t fit in. Not on this earth anyway! But He “fit in” beautifully in Heaven. He wants us to “fit in” there, too.

He calls us to be different—not just for the sake of being different, but to use our “one voice” to change the world for the better. Being different is not just about how we dress, eat, or worship. It’s about who we are. It’s about how we love.

I’ve found that it pays to be different. People expect something more from those who have backbone than they do from those who “go with the flow.” It’s great to live with a sense of purpose, and with the knowledge that you are on God’s side and that anything is possible!

St. Augustine declared, “Preach all you can, and if you must, use words.” Our lives speak volumes! Our lives may be the only “Bible” some people read. When they read us, are they seeing an accurate representation of Christ? Do we even take the time to read Him?

Many people have no idea what it really means to be a Christian—probably right outside our front doors. What message are we sending to those who are watching? Can they tell that we’re following Christ?

We’ve got to stand for something in a world that is falling for anything! Be authentic! Be real! God is calling us! He’s calling you! Be different!

Emily Beth Bond is 14 years old, and lives in Swan Valley, Montana. Her dad is the art director for the Lake Union Herald. Emily Beth visits her friends in Michigan as often as she can.

1. Kubiak Primicerio, Shannon. Being a Girl Who Leads. Minneapolis: Bethany House (2006).