Are you a crowd-follower? A people-pleaser? In short, an approval-seeker?
If so, this post is for you!
Why do so many teens follow the crowd? One reason is their need to belong. All of us have a need to belong. God made us this way because He wants us to belong to His family.
So, wanting to belong is not a bad thing. But the important question to ask ourselves is "To what do I want to belong?"
So many teens don't ask this question, yet answering it will make the difference between a good life and a horrible one.
As with other things in life, there is a right way to belong and a wrong way to belong. There is a right place to belong and a wrong place to belong. So, how can you know the difference?
Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing where to belong:
1--Is this group of people a group that follows Jesus Christ and His ways?
2--Are the people in this group the kind of people I want to be like?
3--Do the people in this group live out the values that I consider most important in life?
4--Will hanging around these people make me a better person or not?
5--Do I want to be around these people because I think they will make me look good or make me more popular? Or do I want to be around them because they live according to God's Word?
The Bible tells us that we will become like the people we hang around. Look at this verse in 1 Corinthians 15: 33: "Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good character."
Isn't it interesting that when you put one bad apple in a barrel of good apples the good apples will eventually turn bad? But when you put one good apple in a barrel of bad apples, the bad apples will never turn good?
That's the way it is with us. If we hang around bad people all the time, we will eventually become like them. But if we hang around good people all the time, we will eventually become like them.
So, be careful whom you choose to be your friends. Choose those who love Jesus and follow Him. Choose those who are not afraid to stand up for what is right, no matter what the cost.
Don't be a crowd-follower. Let the crowd follow you!
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Copyright 2017-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.
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