It’s easy to go with the flow. Agree with everybody; don’t cause any conflict; steady the boat; be nice all the time; follow the crowd; watch all the ‘soaps’; and have all the latest technologies. Are we meant to live like this?

Salmon fish don’t – they swim upstream in order to spawn. Flowers don’t as they grow towards the light and don’t flop over with gravity. Eagles do and glide on air currents, although all birds defy gravity, too.

What about us humans. It’s pleasant to be popular and be accepted by society and for many that is their aim. However, Christians have a different perspective as they have the amazing Holy Spirit within them that makes them new creatures (creations) which enable us to overcome obstacles that humanly we couldn’t do. I remember a time when I had to address a huge crowd of intelligent educators bringing to their notice the project God had called me to write. I was literally shaking before I started and then as friends prayed for me (beforehand and during this event) I believe God gave me the supernatural ability to communicate, something alien to my natural personality.

As Christians we are called to be in the world but not of it. When our church was praying about the vote on June 23rd last year concerning the UK staying or coming out of Europe, I came out of the church with this Scripture ringing in my mind, “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord ” and touch not the unclean thing.” (2 Corinthians 6:17). The UK did come out of Europe as we all know but it appears now that we have to push against the flow of public opinion that seems to waver continually about whether we made the right decision, even as a nation.

In order for us Christians to be effective, I think we need to be bold and express our faith which is not always popular or easy. Two preachers in southern England this past week have been found guilty of causing an offence while preaching from their Bibles. It seems that here in the UK, the Bible isn’t appreciated by many and yet the truths within it are very life changing and enable us to be the right way up instead of being lopsided by the ‘sin’ that so easily besets each of us. However, we are able to overcome the temptations we face only because of God’s enabling and power that God puts into each believer.

Sometimes our children are ostracized for being part of a Christian family. Children can be quite harsh to each other when they see something different happening or when a child goes against the flow because they have different values taught to them by their parents. Sadly, sometimes this is how bullying develops.

Jesus said that we would be persecuted for being Christians but are we Christians going with the flow around us or are we prepared to stand up and be counted for who we are and whose we are? Hopefully, this young generation of children will rise up above the apathy and religiosity of former generations to take hold of the life God gives which is truly amazing and full of the flow of life – life in all it’s fulness and to full potential!