We all heard that one from our parents; some of us have even said it to our own kids. The point is simple: just because everyone else is doing something doesn’t make it right. The problem, though, is that we like to fit in. Ever since we were kids, we wanted to like the right kind of music, wear the right clothes, and use the right technology.​

In other words, we want to jump off the cliff because everyone else is doing it.

As disciples of Jesus, we were made to be different. To stand apart. To live in such a way that it’s clear we aren’t bandwagon crowd-followers; we’re followers of Christ. That fact alone makes us stand apart—distinct from the crowd.

When we started following Jesus, everything about us changed, whether we recognized those changes or not. We have a new heart. We have new desires. We have new attitudes. And all of that newness stands in sharp contrast to the old.​

In His most famous sermon, Jesus helped His followers—both then and now—see just how different God made us to be. In everything from our character to our relationships to the way we love other people, we were made to stand apart from the crowd. Just as it was for those who heard the Sermon on the Mount for the first time, every day of our lives is filled with opportunities for us to compromise and blend in with the norm.

Or to be distinct.

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