This is a message from leading the way with Dr. Michael Youssef.

We pray that it will encourage you in your walk of faith.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Youssef or leading the way, please visit ltw.org.

I wonder how many of us really understands that conformity is a form of slavery.

It is far easier, at least we think, to do what others do, to go along with the crowd

in order to be accepted. It is far easier to swim with the stream

than to stand up and to stand out than to swim against the current. I know this is a special

problem with teenagers. I've read some statistics that have explained that the major reason for teen suicide and for alcoholism and for drug addiction is that most young people are conformists.

Now, of course, marketing executives and commercial producers, they know that, they understand that, and they gear their advertising accordingly.

They, of course, would tell us that you're not okay until you drive a certain car or wear

certain designer clothes or do this or do that. And the problem is that not only the non-Christian

world fall in that trap, but the Christians get trapped in that kind of trick.

And yet the scripture again and again emphasizes how important it is for the believer to stand out,

not to conform to the world and not to live by the world standard, that even if to be alone, it is better for the Christian than to conform.

We don't like to be alone.

We don't like to stand up.

We'd rather follow the standards of the world than wanted to change the standards of the world.

One time Harry Truman was asked about public opinion, Paul's, and political life, and

political leadership. And Mr. Truman, who was not known for mincing words, said the following.

What would Jesus Christ have preached if he had taken a Paul in Israel? Where would the Reformation

have gone if Martin Luther had taken a Paul in Germany?

It is in the polls of public opinion

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