i have decided to follow.
This week I took my oldest daughter to a concert an hour and a half away from our home. It was a school night, so I wondered (for about half a second) if it was a good idea. I came to the decision that it would be a memory and an experience she would hold onto. The concert didn’t start until 7pm but doors opened at 6pm. Therefore, we were in line by 3:45pm!! Yes, you read that right.
There were no assigned seats, so it was a first come first serve basis. But because we arrived so early, my daughter and one of her friends were at the very front of the line. They were also holding a place for my niece who was joining them soon. As the line continued to grow and grow (I seriously didn’t even know this many people existed!), my niece and her 8 friends arrived for the concert. As all nine girls walked in confidence past the entire long line to meet my daughter, there began a rustling among the crowd. As I sat off to the side, not in line myself, I saw an amazing thing take place.
Everyone who was sitting quickly rose to their feet and began moving towards the entrance with anxiousness. As they did this, the people behind them copied, and the ones behind them did the same. It looked similar to “the wave” you see in the stands at a ballgame. This ripple occurred until literally everyone was on their feet frantically moving to the front, thinking that it must be time to go into the concert. However, by this time, it was only 5pm and they still had an hour until the doors opened. It was amazing to me that everyone followed, not even knowing where they were going or why. It was also amazing how a handful of people innocently created a ripple effect of choices down the waiting line.
Everyone soon relaxed, realized the doors weren’t opened yet, sat back down, and waited for another hour. But what I learned from this, and what fascinated me the most, is how people almost mindlessly followed those that they didn’t even know.
I wonder how often we do this in our own life? We tend to look to others, copy them, wish we were like them, had what they had, were as successful as them, and the list goes on and on. We often allow others to lead us in places that we do not know where we’re going. We look around at the masses and based upon the direction they are going, we tend to follow. You might not be guilty of this, but I know I have been. There have been times when I’ve looked at other women and compared myself. Times when I have copied others because they seemed confident about where they were going. But just like the crowd I witnessed this week at the concert, we can be led astray. The only one we should be following and allowing to lead us is Jesus. Even though others have good intentions, and they may be even headed in the right direction, they are human. The only one who can truly lead us, guide us, direct us, and give us all the pieces of the information we need is the Lord.
So, I want to encourage you today and have you ask yourself, “who am I following? Who am I comparing myself or trying to copy after? Am I going with the crowd?” My prayer for you is that you will know you are an original. That you will not fall into the lie of trying to copy others. That you will not follow the majority headed in a certain direction. When chaos breaks out around you, you will not be shaken or moved. And perhaps, you will even turn around, not following the majority and begin to follow God. . . even when it doesn’t make sense.