you DO matter

I heard something again this week that I've probably heard in church all my life. It goes like this-if I don't do something, God will find someone who will. I've been thinking about it a lot because, for the first time, I realized what the statement is doing. It is devaluing the individual. Now I'm not stating that the Christian should be the "rugged individualist": never needing others, having quiet times alone, crying in silence. We need each other and should help each other in every way-physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But I believe that the individual is VERY important to God.
Think about it, if I wasn't important to God, why would He waste time in wanting me to transform my character? I mean, why don't we just "follow the rules" like in the Old Testament? Weren't the 10 commandments and the Levitical laws good enough for me? No they weren't. God wanted me to learn to "think differently", not just follow the rules. And he made me and you particularly, with a unique personality, style of communicating, and physical gifts.
So yeah, you can choose not to do something God is CLEARLY asking you to do. But you will suffer because you will have missed something. Pay attention so it doesn't happen to you a second time. God loves you too much for you to miss out on some of the greatest experiences of your life. As a UNIQUE individual.