To Reach My Dream, I Need to Dare to Be Different

“Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” Genesis 6:9 (NLT)

If I want to fulfill my destiny—if I want to achieve my God-given dream, vision, or ambition—I must dare to be different from the culture.

Until I settle this, I'll never reach my dreams. I can’t fit in and be different or make a difference at the same time. I have to decide: “I’m willing to be different from the culture”—because the culture is headed one way, and God is heading another.

In Noah’s time, humanity hit rock bottom. It was morally bankrupt. 

Genesis 6:12 says, “God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt” (NLT).

Sound familiar? Genesis 6:5-6 adds, “The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. . . . It broke his heart” (NLT). 

Just 10 generations into human history, the world was already consumed by sin and evil.

What’s the trend today? Is the world moving toward God or away from him? It’s clear—it’s moving away. Jesus warned: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day” (Luke 17:26 NLT).

Culture will only worsen as we approach Christ’s return.

Amid this darkness, God saw one bright spot: Noah. In The Message paraphrase, Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah was different. GOD liked what he saw in Noah” (MSG).

That phrase—“but Noah”—saved the world. Would God save the world because of my faithfulness? If God looked at today’s corruption, would he see a bright spot and say, “But Mark”?

Could God save the world through me?

Only two people have saved the world: Noah physically and Jesus spiritually. 

What set Noah apart? He wasn’t concerned with others’ opinions, approval, or trends. He dared to be different to fulfill his destiny—and so must I. If I blend in with the crowd, I can’t fulfill the calling God has placed on my life.

Great people march to a different beat. They’re unafraid to stand out. Remember this: I can only make a difference by being different.

This is what God desires: to look at your life and smile, saying, “That’s my child fulfilling their destiny.” Like Noah, live with integrity. Let your difference make a difference.

In summary:

It's important to stand apart from cultural norms to fulfill one’s God-given destiny. Using Noah as an example, it highlights how he remained righteous despite widespread corruption, earning God’s favor. The world in Noah’s time was morally bankrupt, much like today, and Jesus warned that history would repeat itself before His return. To make a difference, one must be willing to be different, resisting societal pressures and staying faithful to God’s calling. Ultimately, true impact for me will come from living with integrity and purpose, just as Noah did.