Following Trends Or Principles? (Part 2)

INSPIRE Devotionals With Emmanuel Afiawari Thursday, May 22, 2025 Topic: FOLLOWING TRENDS OR RESULTS (Part 2)? Memory Verse: ‭‭"‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I want you to pattern your lives after me, just as I pattern mine after Christ" - 1 Corinthians 11:1 TPT Bible Text:  Hebrews 6:12 KJV 12. ‭‭That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. INSPIRATION: Principles will always trump trends that do not have any statistical backing. The author of Hebrews cautions us to follow, not just anyone but those with proofs. You can repeat the principles they observed and perpetuate their results. The principles reinforced their faith and with uncanny patience, they obtained results. Time-tested principles follow a timeline or line-up of processes. You can't bypass any. Shortcuts may elongate the process and could truncate the process. No wonder, "... ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise" (Hebr. 10:36). The virtue of patience is in short supply in this generation that wants everything on a fastline. The discipline and maturity that comes with patience is lost. Jesus had a pattern for patience and everything else he did. Same for Paul. Hence Paul could ask us to follow their examples. Patterns lead to predictable outcomes. Study anyone who's a success, there're patterns to their emergence. Seek the patterns and follow! Whether in sports, entertainment, arts and science, every human endeavour has very established patterns. They may not be trendy but sure to deliver great outcomes if adhered to. Trends on the other hand, may attract the clout but soon fizzy out for newer trends. They're fickle, unpredictable and prone to fading with the advert of new ones. Therefore, it may be disastrously disadvantageous to rely on trends that you can't hold on to for too long. Neither Jesus nor Paul followed the trends of their days. They stood out following principles. TODAY'S TAKE HOME: A role model that models nothing of value is a public clown that must be marked for who he is and treated as such. Trends do not always make for long lasting impact. PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to become someone who's guided by sound principles and high moral standards. May I not chase clout to my ruin and I could model after people with track records. Give me a heart that discerns and follow what is upright by all standards, in Jesus name, Amen.