"The Scene and Herd"

Ahhhhh. The “sheeple”. All the lovely folks who find something to cling to in this world and follow it with a blind devotion that can only be shattered by the realization of how completely full of crap it really is. For years I clung to anything that would “set me apart” from the status quo. I wanted to do everything in my power to not be like the preppy kids or the mainstream. I loved punk rock music. If it wasn’t punk rock I wouldn’t listen to it. I would call other people posers because they weren’t living up to what my expectations of what punk really was, all the while I was ignoring that image of a mirror in my head when I said it. I dressed the way I thought my heroes dressed. I wanted so badly to fit in with the people who were non-conformist. I wanted to flaunt my individuality. And THAT, my friends, is really where the contradictions start to pile up.

Thinking back on it now, it all seems so ridiculous. I mean, seriously? In order to not be like everyone else, all I had to do was dress, act, and like all the same things as everyone else? Hmmmm. Even when I became a Christian, it only got worse. Now I felt I was truly unique, and in a sense, I was. The problem was I wasn’t focusing on the right reasons for being unique. I didn’t do what everyone else did and I took a sense of pride in that. Not because it was pleasing to Abba, but because I found pride in not being like everyone else. I was a dumb kid.

For years I would shy away from things because I deemed them part of a specific group or scene that I didn’t want to be affiliated with. I wanted people to see me and think that I “was” whatever scene I was into that week. Be it a punk, or a skater dude, whatever. I wouldn’t listen to music that I now love simply because I didn’t think people who were *insert genre here* would listen to it. I never listened to reggae, which I now LOVE, because I didn’t want to be a hippie. I didn’t listen to country because I hated rednecks (Johnny Cash is now a personal hero of mine). I missed out on SO much simply because I wanted to fit in by not fitting in.

Then came the removal of the scales. The sweet, beautiful freedom of Torah. Yah laid into my heart hardcore. He taught me about love, about how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. He taught me that in order to be free, I had to first become a slave.

² In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh (this world). Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.

Romans 12:2

So there it is, plain as the nose on my face, this, if you haven’t noticed, is rather large. Conformity is inevitable. In the body, and in obedience, we all still have our individuality. Yah doesn’t want robots. He wants us to love Him willingly, on His terms. Those terms will set you apart from this world. Trust me. The best part? The best part is that I don’t care how I seem to people any more. I care how I seem to YHVH. That is what is most important. I will gladly tie myself down to conformity to His will. His burden is light. It’s not hard. All you need to do is seek Him with all your heart. He told you how. It’s all laid out in Scripture for you.

Every day I hear someone spouting the mantra “do what makes you happy”. Well, what about what makes Yah happy? Why is no one focusing on that? Trying to do what makes you happy only serves to conforming you more to this world. I would much rather do what I can to live a life that pleases my Abba. It seems so much more worthwhile to seek out Abba’s will for my life than to try to please myself. After all, with everything He has done for me, not the least of which sending His son to atone for my sins and make reconciliation between us, it seems only fitting that I would want to spend the rest of my days according to Him. And don’t even get me started on how seeking and walking out His will for my life brings MUCH MORE Joy than anything I was ever doing on my own. It’s a literal win-win situation. I make myself happy by doing what pleases Him. It is the single most gratifying thing in my entire.

The bottom line is, when I was trying so hard to be different, I was nothing but bitter. I hated anyone who didn’t see things the way I did.  I was so judgmental of anything that didn’t fit my scene. Now, I have peace. I am not living up to the standards of Man. I love people and want them to be a part of this “scene”. I want nothing more than to please my Abba, and I take every joy in Him. My heart is full to the point of overflowing. I love the things of Him. I wish I could articulate fully the burden that has been lifted through Him. I honestly believe the words don’t exist to truly express the peace of mind that comes from trying to live in His will. That is something I can get behind.

One love,

Albert C. Coble

Halleluyah!

Praise Adonai from the heavens!
Praise him in the heights!
² Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all his armies!

³ Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all shining stars!
⁴ Praise him, highest heaven,
and waters above the heavens!

⁵ Let them praise the name of Adonai;
for he commanded, and they were created.
⁶ He established them forever and ever;
he has given a law to which they must conform.

⁷ Praise Adonai from the earth,
sea monsters and watery depths,
⁸ fire and hail, snow and mist,
storm-winds that obey his word,
⁹ mountains and every hill,
fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals and all livestock,
creeping reptiles, flying birds,
¹¹ kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers on earth,
¹² young men and women alike,
old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of Adonai,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above both earth and heaven.

¹⁴ He has increased the power of his people,
granted praise to all his faithful,
to the descendants of Isra’el,
a people close to him.

Halleluyah!

Psalm 148