A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
Read: Acts 5:26-33
Peter and the apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” – Acts 5:29
Cameroon ran into trouble when they planned to wear sleeveless shirts at the 2002 World Cup. Immediately the kit was ruled illegal. Team officials quickly added black sleeves so that Cameroon could still take part in the competition.
Cameroon made a wise decision to conform to the established rules, but the early church refused to conform. They understood their own dependency on God and the need for everyone to trust in Jesus. When faced with this message, the authorities reacted in a similar way as the governing bodies did to Cameroon—they put restrictions against them. They went so far as to threaten and imprison them so as to stop the church from speaking the good news of Jesus. However the church stood firm. Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29).
Similarly, we are called to obey God before all others. Naturally that will make us stand out in the world. We need to stand out, like the early church, so people will see that we love Jesus and that we are living the life we were made for. Through the Bible, we will be guided by God to obey Him first, and when the pressure to conform hits, we can keep our eternal relationship with Him as our first priority. —Chris Wale
In a world that tries to squeeze us into its mold,
following Christ is the ultimate nonconformity.
Filed under Features, The Final Goal.
