Lemming syndrome

Lemmings are really stupid. These little artic rodents follow each other off cliffs into the
frigid Atlantic water, often to their deaths. Thousands at a time die of cardiac arrest (because of the cold water) or drowning; Ms. Lemming, the pop queen, who just won a Lemmy Award with her new album, just randomly decided that it was fashionable to jump off the Lemmingwood community cliff...and poor Ms. Lemming drowned because her loyal fans crushed her to death.

I see a parallel between the habits of the Lemming and those of humans—especially
21^st century ones-- that is, we have a fatal habit of wanting to do what everyone else is doing.

But Christians are called to be different. We should expect people to think we’re
weird. Jesus was despised and rejected of men...why should we ask anything different? He told his disciples in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” What greater glory than to follow in the footsteps of Christ?

‘Fitting in’ is a shallow, but attractive thing, and the temporary rewards of popular culture are not worth it. Look at the lives of Hollywood stars. Next time you go to the grocery store, just take a peek at the magazine rack at the checkout and you’ll see that a pretty face, popularity, and money, is not equal to a happy life! Current culture would like us to emulate those same stars, whose average marriage length, if at all, is 1 year. Look at the standards that much of the current music, movies and fashions impose upon us: immorality, impurity, unfaithfulness, instant gratification, ect, ect.

How can the world see “the hope that is within us” if we act and dress and have the same habits and standards as everyone else? Paul wrote about the importance of this witness to the Philippians:

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by
your opponents. (Philippians 1:27-30)

So, how do we combat the Lemming Syndrome?

By filling our minds with truth from scripture: “above all taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance for all saints.” Ephesians 6:16-18

So, are you suffering
from Lemming Syndrome?

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if
there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think
about these things.” Philippians 4:8