The questions are asked numerous times on a daily basis. “Did you hear about…?” or, “Did you see…?” People have the constant desire to find out
and inform others of newly released information. It is, I believe, sparked by a longing to be
on the “inside.” Being on the “inside” is
the status, or brand, that people are continuously attempting to attain. Why is this position so sought after? There are probably many answers to this
question and many more that people are trying to figure out (and be the first
to tell other people).
It is sometimes easy to see the way trends spread. It happens right before our eyes in several
instances. You might find something
appealing or, because your friends are engaged as well, you decide to spread
the wealth and tell others. I can think
of new games that come out or places to eat that I have heard and told others
about in this way. Word of mouth is so
powerful. The excitement of being the
first person to bring the news of something new to a group of people is
incredible. If some event takes place
that you know holds importance to other people, it always feels the best being
able to tell them about it and being one of the first to know. This is the reason why trends, items, and
news spread like wildfire. People are
constantly spreading and trying to find out the newest information first. Technology has been advanced and marketed for
these purposes. Updates about nearly
anything you want can be received on your phone wherever you are and extremely
fast due to the newest and fastest version of phone. Social networking sites allow constant
updating of new information about people’s lives so that nobody will be left on
the “outside” of what is happening.
While contemplating this topic, I began to think about
myself. I thought about why I buy what I
buy and do what I do. Technology is
advancing so quickly and is spreading so rapidly to accommodate the need for
people to know more, faster. Why? The newest trends catch on and spread
throughout and get old soon enough, giving birth to something newer. It creates a constant cycle of, “Who has the
newest?” and, “Who knows the latest?” without end. What is the reason behind buying and doing
the things that we do? Is it because
that is what society and the people around us do or is it because that is what
we really believe we should do?
This constant cycle and the ambitious push to feed and be
fed information may seem overwhelming to keep up with. In fact, I would say that it all collectively
seems meaningless. The thirst to be on
the cutting edge of the newest trend and the next best upcoming item is
exhausting and undoubtedly ends in failure.
There is no way to constantly stay on the “inside.” As the writer of Ecclesiastes writes, it is “a
chasing after the wind.” There is no
truth or substance in these passing fads.
True meaning is found in Jesus Christ alone. We are called, “to be made new in the
attitude of [our] minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4: 23-24). This is the trend we are
supposed to follow. We are not supposed
to act as peer-pressure and the schemes of men might want us to, but we are to
rid ourselves of the old ways that led us to nothing and, “be imitators of God,
therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”
(Ephesians 5:1-2). If we imitate the
everlasting, unchanging God, we will be transformed to be like Him instead of
being persuaded to conform to the trends and desires of today’s society. Are
you being conformed to the cravings of the world, or are you being transformed to the likeness of God?
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