701) I have had the privilege of working with kids, mostly in the junior/senior levels for many years. Because of this, I have spent a lot of time observing kids of these ages. Inevitably, I see many of them wanting clothing, shoes, electronics, cars and more simply because everyone else has them. What I think is ironic is that kids this age also strive to differ from mostly the adults in their lives but, in reality, they are truly wanting to be different together. This gives them the feeling of belonging.

Is this feeling of wanting to belong with some group a bad thing? Just like asking for a king, the wanting isn’t so much the issue, it’s a problem when we reject what God wants for us in order to be like everyone else. We see this in 1 Samuel 8:19-20 which reveals that Israel wants a king because everyone else around them has one.

What everyone else does is not a solid basis for many of our decisions. Dare to be different by finding out and following what God has planned for you.