What the hell are we doing?

You know, becoming a Christian is a huge leap. A lot of people look at those of who make it and think it's a leap into darkness at best, or absolute idiocy at worst. Those people probably would describe more like a fall than a leap, as off our rockers, but truly, that's their issue. The bible says flat out, that the wisdom of God is foolishness to man, and the fact is, it isn't going to be understood by them. It's not even their fault, there is just, quite simply, no revelation there. And you know what, God bless them, the best we can do for those who hold that view of us, is pray for the scales to fall from their eyes. It's a supernatural work that has to happen in them and on our own, we will never persuade another into the kingdom.

Sadly, this perception of Christians has become completely politically correct. It's not only acceptable to attack traditional Christian values, it's truly encouraged. Bill Maher and Kathy Griffin make full time jobs out of attacking the beliefs, the values and the people who hold them. The time of "live and let live" is long gone, and it isn't coming back.

There's part of the big leap one has to make choosing Christ. You will not only have to deal with the questioning of your beliefs, values and even your mental capacity/ capabilities, but in many areas you will even have to deal with the possible rejection of relationship. People will stop being your friend for following Christ. People in your family will reject you, and judge you, possibly even your own spouse. But this isn't something that should surprise us. Jesus warned us we would be hated because they hated Him first.

Now, there are those who will make the mental ascent to Jesus and maybe even pray the prayer to ask him into their hearts, and then choose to just stay on the "down low" with their Christianity. I strongly suspect they will find that a miserable and uncomfortable place to be, but many will do it, out of fear or doubt or just because they don't want to "rock the boat," but this is a game I personally wouldn't ever want to risk playing. The scripture says if we deny Jesus before men, He will deny us before the Father, and since we don't get into heaven for eternity without Jesus standing up for us, I just won't go there. And I don't recommend anyone else does either.

In my opinion if you try to be an incognito Christian, one of two things is going to happen. Either you will eventually burn out. It's too much to carry on, and you will eventually walk away from the beliefs you are not willing to stand for. If that isn't what happens to you, then I believe it is because the Lord will eventually hound you out of the darkness. He won't let you stay in the place of confusion and falsehood. He will push you till you are ready to make the stand. I know I've heard the whole "God is a Gentleman" spiel, but let me just say, a gentleman doesn't equal a pansy. He won't let you stay there, He won't. One way or another the stealth Christian is a temporary gig.

So you know what? I think those who actually choose to follow Christ and stand for Him publicly are pretty ballsy people these days. (Yeah, I said ballsy, get over it.) It takes a lot of courage to stand for Christ. It's a risk and a purposeful act of bravery. Props to those who make it. Props to the high school student who takes the stand in his school, or the employee in his work place, the mom in her neighborhood, I say bravo. I say way to go when you stand up and go against the grain and when everyone else thinks you should take the easy way out, or just keep quiet about your faith, and you don't, more power to you!

So here is the issue that is really on my heart tonight, I want to talk to you, the brave, the ones who are out there, proclaiming Christ in their lives, in the bent of their own personalities, in their own unique way. You, you are who you are, IN CHRIST. I want to ask you a question.

Why are we having such a hard time believing the word of God? I mean, sincerely, you have made the hardest choice, you have chosen to trust Him with your eternity, you have believed Him for your salvation. Does it get any bigger than that? I don't believe it does. So I am asking, if you can believe in Him for something that big, how come we have such a hard time believing Him for the every day? Why do we believe His word for that, but when life starts to happen we choke?

That big Book we Christians carry isn't just for show. Jesus IS the Word. And when you open that Bible, you are delving into the very heart of Him Who you have entrusted your eternity to. But all of a sudden way too many of us are questioning whether or not that Truth applies to our daily lives.

If the Bible isn't true for our every day, then what the hell are we doing?? When God said He would care for our every day, it was Truth. When He said He would NEVER leave us or forsake us, it was TRUTH. It IS Truth. It's the "fact of the matter" for our lives. And you know what? I think it's time we start living our lives like we know that.

We brave Christians, we need to exercise that same strength of faith that helped us choose Him, and proclaim Him in living out our Walk of Faith with Him.

“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Numbers 23:19

What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

We need to take God at His Word, and live what we say we believe, every day, in Jesus' name.