But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. “We want to be like the nations around us…” 1 Samuel 8:10-20 (NLT)
Samuel was in a quandary; the people wanted a king. Even though the LORD warned them about the consequences, they continued to ask Samuel to anoint a king. That sentence, “We want to be like the nations around us,” is quite revealing; their motive was to fit in, to be like everyone else. They didn’t view their uniqueness as something special, an asset to be coveted and cherished. On the contrary, they saw it as a drawback.
Peer pressure can affect us in the same way. We don’t like being odd man out. We want to fit in, to belong, to be like everyone else. But when desiring a different ‘me’ matters more than living out God’s plan for my life, then I need to take a step back and reevaluate my priorities.
I am unique and there’s a reason for that. God created me on purpose and for a purpose. He doesn’t want me to look to others for role models. He wants me to look to Him. He’s the only One truly worth modeling.
Thought: “If you spend all of your time admiring what others have, you will miss out on what God has given you.” Tricia Linnell