Parenting by Design - October 22

Nonconformity

Galatians 1:11-12: I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ (NIV).

In telling the story of his conversion, Paul explains the drastic change he made. Paul became a nonconformist, despite the fact that his nonconformity cost him everything his culture valued.

Our culture pushes us toward uniformity. Wear the right clothes, have the right job, spend money on the right things, and you are acceptable. But, conforming to the world forces us to sacrifice our uniqueness in Christ. Francis Asbury, the first bishop of the Methodist Church in the USA, once prayed, "0 Lord, grant that these brethren may never want to be like other people."

Have you met someone willing to be themselves in the will of God? They face the danger of being criticized by those who value conformity, but they have the ultimate freedom. They are free of slavery to the rules of the culture. They can be who God designed them to be. They can exercise their unique gifts knowing they are in the will of God.

Lead your children to divine nonconformity.