Many students find the holidays a big challenge for many reasons. They go back to their communities and villages and the only thing they know how to do is to go to school. Many of them have never been shown how to spend spare time profitably. The tendency therefore is to try and find out what other young people are doing and imitate them. This often leads to behavior they themselves have not known.

Most times Communities and societies we live in try to make us conform and unless we stand up to them and only do only that which is good and right, we will end up looking like them. The illustration is when all the guys and the girls want you to do what they think is good in their own eyes. Often they try to get you believe that what they are offering is better than what you know. Or they show you that what you know is not good enough or completely ignore your opinion. What we need to know if we do not know it already is that those people are trying to devalue you and suggest that until one is like them one does not have a life to be excited about.
 

Shadrach, Meshak and Abednego Stood for the Truth
But the truth is often the reverse of what they are suggesting to you. An excellent example is a story from the Bible in the book of Prophet Daniel chapter 3. This is the story of three Hebrew boys who had been carried into exile when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon destroyed the country of Judah in 352 BC. Shadrach, Meshach and Abedinego were serving in the palace of the King when he had a dream and acted upon it. He built a golden statue and put it in the plains of Ono to worshipped by the whole of his Empire. But Daniel, and his friends Shadrach Meshak and Abednego defied the king’s command by not defiling themselves and worship a golden image because they obeyed the Commandment of the Lord- “You shall not make any graven image and worship it…”
 
The young people were in exile far away from home and from the temple of their God and therefore they could do anything they wished. There were no priests or other religious leaders to keep them in line so to speak. The society they lived in was very challenging because the Kings command was final and the law of the society could not be changed. Most of the people did hat they were asked to especially by the King and promotion in the Kings court often followed the obedience.  But the three boys stuck to what they knew was right and true and decided to obey the Lord God.
 
Dan 3:12-15

“But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon– Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego– who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
 
Standing up even to the King the three Hebrew young men, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” They knew very well that if their God does not show up and save them they would be roasted, but we should be very clear when it comes to their obeying God. They would rather die than worship the image set up by the King.

But to their delight and to the amazement of the Nebuchadnezzar, God actually showed up  for them and they did not burn in the blazing fire which moments before, the flames from that fire killed the mighty men of the King who were commanded to throw Shadrach Meshach and Abednego into the fire. 

Remaining loyal to the truth learned in the Church and other Christian group eventually pays off. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ended in triumph for the Young Hebrew people and their God. Staying in the truth eventually pays off even for the young and old people today.