“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT.

You’re going to be tempted. A lot.

Tempted to cheat, lie, and take the easy way out.

If you give in, you’ll lose yourself a little more every time until one day you’re lost in a sea of faces and numbers as you blend in and disappear.

You’re going to be tempted to do something half-way, to tell part of the truth, and to share a little bit of gossip.

If you give in, you’ll become vague and undependable – an unlit candle in a dark corner of the world.

You’re going to be tempted to walk a parallel path to the one God has called you to. It may appear to be similar, but it’s not the one for you.

If you take that path, it will turn into a slippery slope where you slide further away from God and His plan for you to do something extraordinary. You’ll end up confused and discouraged.

You’re going to be tempted to stay in a lukewarm comfort zone because it’s easier and seems to be what everyone else is doing.

If you give in, you’ll become completely common and unmoved, a speck of dust stomped into the ground. Totally unremarkable and insignificant.

But what if you don’t give in to fit in?

What if you see those things for what they really are – temptations that take you away from God’s best for you? What if you see they are cheap imitations, counterfeits of something so much better?

Oh, dear soul. You CAN walk past those traps the world and the enemy have set before you. You can look for the way out that God has faithfully provided.

You can live fearlessly, courageously as you follow Jesus Christ, igniting hearts along the way and encouraging others to follow Him too.

You can carry your cross and take the path that will be difficult at times because you know God will bring good from the struggle and will one day reward you for it.

You can live an abundant life, a life that will make your heavenly Father proud. You can please Him and serve Him and love Him with everything you’ve got.

You can be bold, stand your ground, obey His word, and let your light shine.

And by refusing to give in to fit in to this world, you, brave soul, can make a powerful difference in the lives of others.

Beginning with your own.