Conformity

               Something I’ve been thinking about a lot over the past few months is society, the world we live in. Media is huge in today’s world. It’s a platform to express yourself and your opinions and unfortunately, a lot of those opinions have shaped people in a bad way. For example, there’s a lot of pressure to fit in, especially in a high school environment. There’s an unspoken list of things that you have to do and be in order to do so. Being skinny is a big one. That’s where it gets extreme. Today, 1 or 2 out of every 100 students deal with anorexia (http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/eat-disorder.html) and 50% of those teens also deal with bulimia (forcing yourself to throw up) (https://www.teenhelp.com/eating-disorders/teen-anorexia-statistics/). That’s huge. It’s not good either. It affects everyone, even Christians.

               What I wanted to talk about is conformity. Everyone deals with it. The desire to fit in is strong, it’s part of humanity. We weren’t designed to be alone but sometimes we go too far to prevent loneliness. There’s so much division in the church and no openness. We aren’t the unified body we’re supposed to be. Relationships, real, deep, close ones at least, are hard to find and develop. No one seems to want to listen to problems. So, to fit in, we act like everything’s okay, put up a happy-go-lucky façades and then get mad at the church for not reaching out. Conformity divides more often than it helps us fit in.

               As Christians, we shouldn’t be blending in. We should in the very least be shinning the light that is in us. We’re God’s hands and feet and we aren’t acting like it. And I get it, it’s hard. Putting yourself out there can be a dangerous thing. But, consider Romans 12:2: “Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.” (Voice translation.) God loves us just the way we are, He knows every hair on our head, and we don’t have to put on a mask to find company. There is a plan and a purpose on your life and you are loved for you are, not what you’ve done or for who you’ll become.

               Just be yourself, who God created you to be. You’re perfect just the way you are.