Live Original (Sadie Robertson) (21 page)

Before our television show started, we went to God in prayer and asked Him to guide us in the decision whether or not to even do the show. We told Him that if it hurt our family in any way, then to take it away from us. We asked Him to keep us humble and keep our hearts turned toward Him and to be sure we do not get caught up in people’s approval or in comparing ourselves to others. That is how we could walk away from it all and know we will be fine. We know God is with us, and every day, we try to love Him and love each other and live in ways that please Him. The great thing about this is that it gives us the freedom to take risks. Let me explain what I mean by that.

When you put your relationship with God first and you also have a great relationship with your family, you can risk having people get upset with you for standing up for your beliefs. You can risk being rejected because of your values, and you can even risk losing a boyfriend if the relationship is not going in a godly direction. You can risk looking or acting different from other people. You can do these things because you know you will be okay without them. You know God is with you and for you, and I hope you can also know your family is standing beside you. But even without your family’s support, you can know that God is there. So many people are afraid of losing other people’s approval that they do things that are not good for them—just to keep from being rejected. When you have God in your life, you are
never
rejected; you are always accepted and always loved.

If you know you need to take some kind of risk, then get your relationship with God strong and go for it. You will never know what you could have or experience in life unless you try. God made you an original. That means you are really special, and He has a really special plan for your life. You may have to risk something that currently feels secure in order to go after that plan, but with God’s help, you may end up in an awesome situation if you’ll just take the chance.

GOD WANTS THE BEST

My mom talks to my siblings and me a lot about living a good life and having the courage to be ourselves. Both of our parents give us the room to be creative and to do different things, as long as we seek to please God and obey His Word. The reason they want us to obey His Word is that they know He wants the best for us. God tells us what to do and what not to do
not
so we will be bored or boring, but so we can live a good life on this earth. In His Word, He lays out a plan for us to be happy and content. And who doesn’t want happiness and contentment?

Everything God tells us to do is for our good. He doesn’t just make up arbitrary rules to see if we will obey them or not. He knows everything about us and everything about our lives, so centuries ago He wrote the Bible to give us a set of directions to follow if we want to live in strong, happy, peaceful ways. We get to choose whether to obey them or not.

One of the best things about God is that when we get off His path, He still loves us. He doesn’t get angry with us or love us less. He loves us just the same, which is a lot more than we can ever wrap our minds around.

God wants the very best for you. That’s what I want for you too. He made you an amazing person with all kinds of potential. I hope you’ll live life His way, be an original, and express your uniqueness in every way you can, every chance you get.

Live Original Challenge

1.
 How can you keep from falling into the trap of comparing yourself with others, so you can maximize your strong points and be okay with what you’re not so good at?

2.
 Do you try to see the best in other people and help them see what’s good about themselves? How can you help someone around you learn to live original?

3.
 What are some ways you can start living original right now? What things do you want to change about yourself: the way you look, the ways you spend your time, your values, or something else to better express who you really are?

4.
 Based on what we’ve talked about in this book, what do you think God is calling you to do and be?

DON’T FORGET

You’re an original!

Find your uniqueness and express it every way you can.

A Quick Guide to Living Original

I
have written about a lot of things in this book. On the next couple of pages is a list of the key points of each chapter and the scriptures that encourage me as I try to do these things every day. I hope this will be a quick reminder of ways to be your best self and live original.

1.
 Think happy, be happy: “But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful” (Psalm 68:3, NIV).

2.
 Dream big: “ ‘Anything is possible if a person believes’ ” (Mark 9:23).

3.
 Never give up: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation” (Romans 5:3–4).

4.
 Be confident: “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!” (Hebrews 10:35).

5.
 Focus on fixing yourself: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

6.
 Let your smile change the world: “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).

7.
 Commit acts of random kindness: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

8.
 Shake the hate: “ ‘But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you’ ” (Luke 6:27–28).

9.
 Remember that a friend’s a friend forever: “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17, NIV).

10.
 Respect relationships: “ ‘Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you’ ” (Matthew 7:12).

11.
 Don’t let five seconds of awkward cause a lifetime of regret: “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

12.
 Don’t forget that stress causes a mess: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34).

13.
 Do something: “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your
actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (James 2:14–17).

14.
 Be the best you that you can be: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:13–16).

My first official photo shoot at 3 months old. I was obviously happy about it. (1997)

My favorite teddy bear—I lost it and I still think Mom lost it on purpose because I was so attached to it. She swears she didn’t. I was two years old. (1999)

Hanging out in my pj’s with my dad and brother John Luke, on the back steps of our house. I was a year old. (1998)

John Luke and I both got a dollar from the bride for being in this wedding and for standing in my spot without crying. I did my job. (2000)