Following Trends Or Results?

INSPIRE Devotionals With Emmanuel Afiawari Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Topic: FOLLOWING TRENDS OR RESULTS? 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: In a world of social media frenzy, everything is for the glamz, pictures and videos liter the streets of Instagram and microblog sites. People are busy boasting about who they rep or follow and ridicle others who don't follow their trend. Many folks with questionable characters have suddenly become influencers and role models to unsuspecting youngsters. If you ask them why they follow, some have no reasonable answer other than they're popular or they're just vibing to the trend. But it is not everything that trends that makes sense or can contribute to your life. What's the data that backs up such trends? What is the pedigree of such influencers? What's the overriding philosophy that's guiding that choice of action. To whose advantage is the social advocacy crusade they champion? Too many questions to ask, with some lacking answers. It is for this reason Paul advice us on who and how to follow (1 Cor. 11:1). Who you follow and how you go about it matters, because when a blind leads the blind, they fall into a ditch (Matt. 15: 14). So what should you do to follow correctly? Hebrews says to follow them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. These people have evidence or pedigree: faith and patience! Faith drives their desire and ensures they do not back off prematurely; patience builds resilience in them in the face of discouragements. They work with emperical data that is supported by verifiable evidence. Trends do not move them but statistics. They're analytical but focused on the goal. What sways others does nothing to them. They're immune from the bandwagon effect. 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.