(This post was written by Michael Wallace, High School Pastor)

My TV is so cool. I just noticed this week that it has a new feature: “What’s Hot On TV.” With this feature you can instantly see what shows are being watched by the most people right now. Then, to kick it up a notch, there is a second choice below that that tells you what popular shows are coming up next. How cool is that?

I think back to when I was in high school, and I wish I had something like this then! Not just for my TV, though. I wish I could tell what clothes would be popular each day, or better yet, in the future, so I could actually lead the trend. It would have been amazing to be able to tell what music, movies, slang, sports teams, or cars to choose based on their popularity!

Throughout the maturing process there is a deep longing to feel loved (girls) and respected (guys). This often translates into looking into the wrong places for our identity. High School is all about identity! It is basically four years of identity crisis, in which you sometimes go to class and try to learn something, right?

I know I would have given anything to know what was going to be popular before I got to school each day in high school, but here’s the good news: when your identity is not tied to a trend it won’t need to be replaced as often as your shoes or cell phone! As a Christ-follower, I know that no matter what I look like or whether I can copy the culture, I will always have a positive identity because of my relationship with Jesus. Because of that, I know WHO I am and WHOSE I am!

So, bring on the next generation of iPods and Priuses! Technology and trends are a neat perk to being made in God’s creative image, but I know that regardless of where culture goes, I am made specifically in that image for a reason.

Now, if I can just find something to watch on my cool TV….