Genesis 11:3 says that the people of Babel built with bricks instead of stones. While this is not the main point (or perhaps even an important point), the contrast between bricks and stones is interesting.
Bricks are man-made, while stones were made by God.
Every one of us has a God-given purpose in life. When we pursue that purpose, we discover life as it was meant to be. When we choose to chase after our own purposes and desires, we eventually discover that they leave us empty and unfulfilled.
Bricks are not unique.
Every brick looks exactly the same because they are mass-produced. Stones are all unique, no two stones are ever the same. God did not create you so that you could look like everyone else. His desire for you is not that you be "one of the crowd" or that you be a nameless face in the crowd. Don't compromise so that you will fit in. Be the person God created you to be, even if (especially if) that makes you stand out.
Bricks are replaceable.
If a brick is damaged or unusable, it can easily be discarded and replaced by another. A brick-shaped hole is easily filled. Stones cannot be replaced because every stone leaves a different-shaped hole. It is a hole that no other stone can fill. If you do not play the role God created you to play, no one else can take your place. He created you and gave you gifts so that you could accomplish the specific task he has for you.
1 Peter 2:5 says, "you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
God is building His kingdom, one living stone at a time. He is not looking for those who are conformed and look exactly like everyone else. He wants those who have been transformed by His Spirit, who have embraced the uniqueness He created, and who are ready and willing to use their gifts in His service.
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