My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.
- Proverbs 1:10
So, the other day, while in the hospital lobby, I had a weird epiphany: I was missing out on a lot of fun out there.
I mean, I'm happy with my life. I'm satisfied with the path I've chosen.
But sometimes I can't help but wonder what would have become of me if I had made different choices.
And this feeling of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is made worse by society.
You open social media and feel like a loser.
You feel like you're missing out on all the fun.
The hookups.
The promiscuity.
The spontaneity.
The reckless fun.
And sometimes, that’s what enticement looks like: not someone dragging you into sin, but everyone else seeming to have more fun than you.
I mean, if there's any generation that has become accustomed to promiscuity, it has to be ours.
We've grown up watching these things normalized on TV.
And over time, all this has started to feel normal.
Some things that were frowned upon decades ago are celebrated today.
And as a Christian living in the modern world, constantly being bombarded with all sorts of ideas, lifestyles and values that don't align with my faith, I find that I have to be intentional in refocusing my attention on God. Otherwise the mind can easily wander.
Which reminds me of Lot, living in Sodom.
He witnessed so much wickedness every day, yet he held to his convictions.
Peter writes about him in 2 Peter 2:7-8:
...and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)
The pressure to conform was real.
We humans are social creatures.
And if the majority treats something as normal, it becomes harder for the minority not to conform.
Society's standard of good and bad is fluid. It changes across time and culture.
What's morally acceptable in one culture gets you canceled in another.
Being a witch in the 1500s got you burned at the stake, and your executioners believed they were doing God's work.
Today, burning someone for their beliefs would be considered a serious crime.
You get the idea.
Another example would be homosexuality.
It was not cool to be gay in the 1700s. So not cool.
That alone could get you sentenced to the death penalty.
Now, in 2026, an entire month is dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights.
As society's definition of what is good or bad evolves, the question becomes: what anchors the believer?
The Word of God.
The anchor of our souls.
The standard for our values.
It should be the basis of our worldview.
And I'll be the first one to admit that this is easier said than done, but because Jesus is my Lord, I have to submit to His teaching too.
Like everyone else, I orient my life around what I believe to be true.
And yes, maybe I'm missing out on some of the fun.
But I'm happy with my choices.
And I've made peace with what those choices may cause me to miss.
Like Jesus said of Mary in Luke 10:42:
But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.
I've chosen the good part.
Cheers :)
