Whose Mold Are You Being Poured Into?

Today’s Reading – Matthew 10 & 11

But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. (Matthew 11:16 & 17)

In the passage referenced above Jesus explains that the people of the world want us to conform to their expectations. When the world wants you to dance, you’d better dance; and when they want you to mourn, you’d better mourn. John the Baptist didn’t fit into their mold. They called him a devil. Jesus was different from John, but they didn’t like him either.  They said he was a glutton and a “winebibber”.

When I was a kid growing up, particularly in the high school years, I could never quite figure out who I was. I tried to fit in with every group within the student body, but yet I never found a place within any particular group. I tried to run with “the jocks” but I didn’t quite fit there. I then tried to hang around the smart folks, you know the ones with the pocket protectors, but I wasn’t a match for them either. I even tried to run with the “burnouts”, which resulted in my getting into a lot of trouble. I never found a place where I fit until I got saved. When I was 25, I found the crowd I was made to run with. However, as I grew in the Lord, I discovered that even many within the church were not running exactly the same direction that I was running. At that point I had a choice. I could either conform to what they expected of me, or I could keep going the direction I was going. It dawned on me one day that the only person that I needed to please was God; and the only mold that I needed to be conformed to was the image of Christ.

Christian, stop trying to live your life pleasing your peers. Now you kids that are reading this still need to please your parents and the other authorities in your life, but you need to stop worrying about what everybody else thinks about you. Be who you are: who God made you to be; and be all that God made you to be. The crowd never accomplishes anything; but individuals who distinguish themselves from the crowd pouring their life into the will of God will accomplish great things, and eventually have the admiration of many within the crowd. But you have to be willing to break away from the dancing and mourning expectations of the people around you.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)