Are You Sure that You Want to Be Like Everyone Else?

For most of my teenage years, I was an emotional wreck. I could go from the life of the party in one minute to wanting everyone in the room to feel as miserable as me in an instant. This brought me to contemplate if the grass was truly greener on the other side of the fence or I simply needed time to reflect? During a moment of spiritual weakness, the elders of Israel wanted to become like all the other nations. Before accepting this idea, the prophet Samuel explains what this decision will mean for the rest of their lives.

When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. ² Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. ³ His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. ⁴ All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah ⁵ And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations, 1 Samuel 8:1-5.

This Old Testament paints a vivid picture of all the freedoms that Israel would lose if they decided to replace the Lord with a leader that they can see. Based upon the words of Hebrews 11:1-6, the decision to rely on a king was essentially a slap in the face, turning their back on the Lord. While Samuel tried to talk some sense into the elders of Israel, God convinces him to allow this to happen. From a modern perspective, Samuel was essentially saying, “are you sure that you want to be like everyone else?”

But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them. ⁸ According to all the works which they have done since I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they also do to you. ⁹ So listen now to their voice; only solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. ¹⁰ So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king, 1 Samuel 8:6-10.

Just as history repeats itself in a series of cycles, human beings tend to go through phases in life where they question if they’re on the right track. Since my move to South Carolina last July, I guess you can I’m still trying to find where I belong. If you’ve ever joined a new church in a new area, this is a similar process. Regardless of where I end up, the important part is maintaining faith throughout trials. While you may have a desire to put God on hold from time to time, keep the faith during the hard times in life, Jude 1:20-21.

by Jay Mankus