January 9, 2026

My mother used to say, “If everyone jumped off a Cliff, would you jump with them?” Her idea of obedience was that I follow her rules versus following trends and fads. I think God has the same philosophy. Just because everyone goes into debt, follows sketchy concepts, or compromises Christian values, doesn’t mean we should follow their example. For me, obedience means to live by and follow the basic training from the Bible more than the cultural rules I grew up with.

We should support and encourage our teenagers daily. There is enormous pressure for young people to conform to an unwritten but powerful code. Many times, they say and do things they don’t personally endorse because they want to be accepted. While that pressure isn’t as intense as we grow older, it still exists within job environments, private organizations, and other settings where we fear standing out as different. Conviction in our beliefs, a willingness to stand firm no matter what pressure people try to exert, and a loyalty to our Christian values requires courage and steadfastness. Turns out, my mother was right. We shouldn’t jump off that cliff with the lemmings.

Father God, I ask for strength to withstand mocking, ridicule, name calling and the false accusations leveled against Your people and against the church as well as against You. God, You are love. You are mercy, forgiveness, and second chances born out of repentance. May we never deny You, never compromise our beliefs and never go along with jokes or stories that would offend Heaven. Lord, we pray for courage, bold stands and hearts that will not waver in the face of opposition.

“…where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. Acts 14:22