Last month I was in San Antonio with one of my board members working the FCA ministry events at the men’s Final Four. One night after the great FCA meeting, we were heading back to our hotel and decided to get a bite to eat at the street fair. Once we received our food and had started making our way through the crowd, we realized we were suddenly fighting a mob moving in the opposite direction. As we fought our way through, we heard a band start to play and suddenly realized why we were fighting the crowd. Rock star Kid Rock was taking the stage nearby. Everyone around us—young and old—was rushing to see and hear him, hoping he would acknowledge them. My friend Dave and I struggled to get through the crowd back to our hotel.  

That situation was a perfect picture of what we as followers of Christ are dealing with in today’s society. The crowd runs to follow the world’s standards but, as believers, we are to go against the crowd and follow a different set of standards. But the struggle against the crowd sometimes proves to be too big of a challenge for some. Many people get tired of fighting and choose to go with the flow. They lose sight of the standards and goals they once had in Christ.  

The only person I know who is worthy of pushing through the crowd to see and to hear is Jesus Christ. Even in His day, He was not glamorous, not always the crowd favorite, but in the end, no one compared to Him. To this day, no one does. And everyone who is chasing the world’s standards will one day realize that all their efforts to find happiness will end up at the foot of the cross.

Next time you feel caught in the rush of the crowd, turn around and push against it. Head away from evil and straight toward the cross of Christ. Only there can you find joy, happiness and peace.  The journey may be tough, but it’s totally worth it in the end.