Individuality is the result of God’s creating each one of us as a unique person. It protects our personal life, but at the same time it impedes our spiritual growth. We hang on to our individuality when it is God’s plan the we are to let it go. It stands in the path of our being brought into fellowship with God, because God designed human nature for Himself.

Our individuality is what makes us independent and self-assertive, the very characteristics that hinder our spiritual growth. We see it in how we view faith. If we say that we can’t believe, it’s because our self-centered nature is in the way. That is why God so often pushes us to the end ourselves, where we reach the point of saying “I can’t” or “I surrender.”

The Holy Spirit brings individuality down to one thing…

Matt 16:23-25  23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ESV

We have to lose our individuality in order to be brought into union with Jesus. We have to deny our self in order for the Holy Spirit to conform us into the unique individual that we were created to be. If we deny our independent right to our self, then our real life in Christ has a chance to grow.