The allure of acceptance

It seems that no matter what I do, in whichever context or group of people, there's always the factor of acceptance involved.

Not referring to accepting others, being others' centered in thinking, but that the more comfortable I am with any particular group of people, the more I'm tempted to throw my principles and focus out of the window; focus on what is the important thing, showing people the truth about the world in love, and the truth about Jesus Christ, not any other god or form of religiousity, but The God incarnate, come to earth to set us free from our sins, in full obedience of the Father's will; principles, in standing up for what I believe to be the right thing to do, and not to be ashamed of what I believe in.

In ALL my circles of relations (if you'd call it as that), I see it happening... my DDP (the recent project I had to do during the holidays which just ended this morning) group...my church friends...and more recently, even the group I've been doing campus ministry with for the past 1 1/2 years.

So much for following the herd instinct...as far as I can remember over the years I've been terribly ingrained in it, from my decision to move with my church friends to target our efforts at the Punggol area, to it being one of the reasons for my active participation in the CF here, being the exco, and even up till now, it affecting my decisions on what to do as an exco member in the light of the current situation. The pattern throughout all these is the same: as long as I'm accepted within the group somehow, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that I continue to be accepted.

The only difference now, is whether I realise it, and am aware of it, and hopefully continue to battle it, as compared to the past when I was totally unaware of it.

Why battle it, you'd say? Because it is self-centered, doing what I want, even if it contradicts how we should respond to God, or others; the essence of sin itself.

Back to the thinking board.............