Back To Home Page To Archives - Spring of Life - H. Roger Bothwell The Tyranny of They It starts when we are adolescents and never really goes away. I'm talking about the "Tyranny of They." As we go through puberty and our faces and bodies go through some radical changes our self-consciousness blooms. Every personal defect becomes gigantic, at least in our perception. The truth is most of those about us are also so self-absorbed they don't have mental activity time to notice our new flaws. Developmentally we are supposed to grow out of this once we establish our new identity as an emerging adult. Unfortunately it never really goes away. Advertisers count on it. We are continually being sold products on the basis that all the "in people" use a specific product. We have to drive socially acceptable cars and wear socially approved garb. We wear the uniform of our culture. This isn't new. People have always been this way. That's why Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, "Be not conformed to the world." Don't be sucked into a lifestyle not becoming a Christian. Be careful of language and be moderate in adapting the current vogue philosophy. I said moderate because one does not want to be so different we become weird. The best Christian witness is to live the kind of life others would desire. The rest of Romans 12:2 says, "Prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect." Prove it. Test it. If it's good be quick to adopt it. Should it be negative shun it like the evil it is. As adults we have the right, the power and the purpose to be our own person. Use all three to be best person in your community. I'm Roger Bothwell and my address is roger.bothwell@verizon.net or 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453. Thank you for your support of our faith ministry. Past devotionals can be accessed at Archives