Fads and trends come and go. Some people seem to be immune to them, while others chase them with great passion. The fad may involve a particular style or brand of clothing, a trendy new vehicle that everyone wants to drive, or the latest phone or techie gadget. None of us are immune to hopping on the bandwagon and joining the parade of what is currently popular.
It’s amusing to watch how hairstyles have changed through the years. Here’s a link to an animated video showing changing hairstyles. For the most part, asking your stylist to help you look a little more like the guy or girl you just saw in a movie isn’t the worst thing in the world… just don’t expect him or her to perform miracles!
The challenge for us is not so much wanting to drive a Lincoln because Matthew McConaughey makes it look cool or lining up to get a Popeye’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich because everyone else is doing it. The challenge is not so much that we wear a certain pair of jeans, imitate the makeup of a popstar, or include the latest slang term in our vocabulary. The challenge is that we don’t allow ourselves to be ruled by what the world around us says is important. As a child of God, we must be careful that our value system is shaped by the heart and will of God, not by the fluctuating values of the world.
Have you ever made cookies using a cookie cutter. The object, of course, is to make cookies that are all pretty much alike. If you are making star-shaped cookies, you press the star-shaped cookie cutter into the dough, and you can end up with a batch of cookies that can be virtually indistinguishable from one another. That is a great picture of being conformed. It’s an outward pressure to shape your attitude and lifestyle.
We’ll consider the rest of this verse tomorrow, but let these words from God remind you to be cautious about going with the crowd. When we anchor our beliefs, attitudes, and action in the teachings of Jesus, we can have great confidence that we are following in His footsteps. When we tune in our ears to what the world claims is true and right, we will find it to be ever-changing and unstable. What is true today maybe be false tomorrow or, worse yet, the very concept of truth itself becomes vague or irrelevant.
Who or what is pressuring you to fit into a certain way of thinking or behaving? Is is consistent with the call of God and the Word of God? Be aware… and be wary!
Be Transformed 