Did anyone enjoy theme parks growing up? I know I did, and I still do. Well think of this: a mom and dad had promised their kid that they would take him to a theme park. So they made plans one weekend to take him. 

 

When they got there, there were so many rides—the kid couldn’t choose. But when he found the fastest one that everyone was going on, he told his parents, “I want to ride on that one.”

 

So his parents took him to the ride, and when they got to the front of the line, a sign read “Children under 4 feet cannot ride.” The kid was 3.5 feet tall. So his parents said, “I’m sorry bud, you can’t ride this one.” The kid was puzzled and asked, “Why?” His parents said, “Because it’s too dangerous, it’s not for you.”

 

The kid, disappointed, threw a fit, even though there were hundreds of other rides around the theme park that he could go on.
 

The reality is this: There are things that we, God’s people, cannot partake in, support, or celebrate. Father has pointed toward a few things and has told us, “That is not for you.” 

 

The issue today is that many of us have heard His words and have thrown temper tantrums over His final say—His word. Some have even disregarded His order completely and have decided to go directly against what He said. Sound familiar? 
 

Adam and Eve had a similar occurrence in the garden. They were told not to eat from one specific tree because it would result in death (separation from the Father). And you would think that they’d be like, “Yeah, okay, there's thousands of other trees; I’m cool with that.” And initially, that was their attitude. 

 

But when the enemy came upon them, he said to Eve about the tree, “You won’t die [if you eat of it]…you will be like God.” (Genesis 3:4-5). He stirred up a fear of missing out, even though they already had all that they needed. Eventually, Eve did what God told her not to because she was overcome by the fear of missing out.  
 

Fear of missing out can lead you to go against what God has commanded. And when Adam and Eve ate the fruit, the exact thing that God said would happen occurred—they were separated from Him. That’s why you and I must consider what we’ve already been given access to and the dangers of what we don’t. 

 

Family! Halloween is around the corner. Many think it’s too deep to say this, but Halloween is demonic. It’s a holiday in which death is celebrated, where witches and satanists come together to pray against God’s people, and where evil is exalted. You may say, “But it’s not that serious” or “Stop being so deep.” 
 

Friend, let me be clear: stop throwing a temper tantrum. I understand that it's difficult to see others partaking in such things. But you are a child of God, and the way we live is different from those of the world. We cannot support or participate in drunkenness, sexual immorality and perversion, idolatry, witchcraft, etc. (See Galatians 5:19–21.)
 

It may seem like you’re missing out on one ride, but the reality is that you’ve been given access to all the others. The people of the world are the ones missing out on all that God has for them. Don’t you know? “The Lord is [your] shepherd; [you] lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1)
 

Do not allow the fear of missing out to hinder you or keep you from obeying the word of our Father. Look around! We’ve got everything we need.

 

Prayer for the week: Father in the name of Jesus, we come before you thanking you for every standard you've placed. We know it's for our good. Thank you for keeping us from every danger and for your character of wisdom—a character we can trust. We ask that you would blot out every unrighteous desire that seeks to go against what you've said, and we ask that you would bring an increase to our desire to please you. In Jesus name, amen!

 

Scripture to go deeper: Genesis 3:4-5, Galatians 5:19-21, Psalm 23:1, Galatians 6:14, John 15:19.