You are an image bearer of Christ, but you won’t always reflect Him. Your spirit and flesh will war between pleasing the Lord and pleasing the crowd. Sometimes the crowd will win the battle, but you must not let them win the war.
This is a struggle between light and dark, truth and lies, good and evil. This is a battle between the past, present, and future.
Your Savior has already won, but you are not yet finished fighting. You want to blend in, be accepted, and be celebrated, but all who are His will be hated by many for Christ’s sake. There is no other way. If you side with the world you will be judged by God. If you side with the Lord, you will be hated by the world.
Popularity tempts even the strongest warrior, but always remember it is fickle.
Only God is constant. He is perfect and His Word is clear. He hates pride and deceit. He hates wicked plans, eagerness for evil, and those who stir up strife. We must also hate these traits and shun all such practices. We must watch and pray against them and avoid those who partake in them. This position won’t win you worldly friends, but if you don’t stand for truth now, in the last days, you won’t stand at all.
Fight the good fight. Refuse to surrender your soul to the side that cannot win. The battle rages fierce. The enemy presses in and whispers lies and temptations in an effort to distract you from the truth.
Victory is yours. Christ has won. Death is defeated and all who stand with Christ are victorious.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
PSALM 1:1-3 ESV