Being a Christian often means we don’t fit in. Many times in my own life I’ve faced the pressure to stop being so radical, to buy something, or do something, or say something to avoid being awkward.
But the Bible is clear. We are not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
In this article, Kaitlyn shares a time in her life when she was pressured to conform to culture in order to gain acceptance. As you read, I pray you will be encouraged by Kaitlyn’s example and strengthened to stand firm in your pursuit of Christ.
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Your clothes aren’t trendy enough.
You’re completely out of touch and out of style.
No one said it in those words, but that was the message behind the not-too-subtle hints that were tossed my way. And it hurt. For weeks I wavered, trying to decide whether I should ignore the comments or change my wardrobe.
Finally, I brought my confusion and frustration to the Lord.
“Father, not fitting in hurts. I want so badly to be understood and accepted by those around me but I desire even more to please you. What should I do?”
Immediately, Isaiah 61:10 came to mind. It says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (NKJV)
At that moment, I was reminded how insignificant being in style really is. The only thing that truly matters is that we choose to wear the robe of righteousness — Jesus Christ. If we are dressed in Him, it doesn’t matter whether we wear rags, or the most expensive, stylish clothes.
Are You Distracted from What Matters?
As young women, it is so easy to become preoccupied with things like clothing. But these things are actually distractions, diverting our attention from Jesus, who should be our sole focus. It is so easy to become insecure when others disagree with our lifestyle and our choices, but we should look to Jesus alone for affirmation. It is so easy to become discontent when the world declares that what we have is not good enough, but we can be content in Christ alone.
I often find myself swept along by the cultural tide as it encourages me to obsess over the things of this world. But I am a Christian. My life is to be all about Jesus and building His kingdom. There are so many things that vie for our attention, distracting us from what is truly important. However, as believers, we shouldn’t live for the here and now. We should live for eternity.
Live for Eternity
All of the things of this world will fade away. Why would we chase after them?
When writing of a young missionary, Amy Carmichael, Elisabeth Elliot said, “The preoccupations of seventeen-year-old girls—their looks, their clothes, their social life—do not change very much from generation to generation. But in every generation there seem to be a few who make other choices. Amy was one of the few.”
Whether we are seventeen or seventy, female or male, we can easily become preoccupied with things that do not matter. But we ought to remember that our lives are short. We have but a fleeting bit of time to make an impact for eternity.
Far too much time has been spent on things that are of no eternal significance. Often the things that distract us aren’t even sin, rather they are meaningless time-wasters that pull our attention away from eternity.
Pursue Jesus Christ
Our culture is full of noise. We are constantly being told that this new gadget will make us happy, or that a new brand of makeup will make us more attractive. Too often, I have found myself believing these things, but they are empty promises.
Many well-meaning people have encouraged me to be ‘normal’, to pursue the same things as other girls my age, but I choose not to.
Only in Jesus will I find true joy. He is true beauty. He alone can make me lastingly beautiful. Only He can satisfy the longings of my heart.
Regardless of what anyone thinks, I’m not going to waste my life pursuing meaningless preoccupations. I’m going to spend it pursuing Christ. Will you join me?
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As a child, Kaitlyn Donihue loved writing and dreamed of becoming an author one day. Later, she gave her life radically to the Lord and began to use her pen to encourage other believers to know and serve Him. Although she writes about a variety of things, she especially loves writing to those who, like herself, experienced the pain of an absent father and encouraging them to find hope and healing in Jesus. To find more of her writing, go to www.simplydevoted.org and subscribe!
Amen! Nobody’s going to care what you wear today 50 years from now, but they will care that you chose to share Christ with them. Reminds me of the quote from C. T. Studd, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”