Level of Commitment

I had an experience this past week which made me seriously examine my level of commitment to my faith. While I will not go into details since that would be gossip, I will say that it was a time in which several people said Christians tend to be hypocrites. It was said that Christians say one thing, but then live their lives in a way contrary to their words.

If you have ever read “The Pardoner’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer, you will notice how Chaucer feels about hypocrisy. To him, it is the greatest of all sins. While I’m not sure what level of sin it is, I do despise hypocrisy with my entire being.

Or do I? Don’t I sometimes give Christianity a bad name when I don’t stop to help someone (such as the story of the Samaritan in the Bible) in need?

I realize now that my level of commitment needs to be blatantly obvious to everyone around me. If I become a hypocrite, I only show people that all Christians may really be hypocrites as well.

Peter in the Bible also had to examine his level of commitment when Jesus asked him this question: “Peter, do you love me?” Peter replied that he was Jesus’ friend, but Jesus asked him twice more if Peter loved him. Jesus was trying to get Peter to examine his own heart and see if he really was fully committed to Him.

Sometimes I can identify with Peter so well! He, like me, was a sinner and struggled with being completely sold out to Christ. I do that every day, and as much as I hate feeling that way, I still don’t take my level of commitment further. For some reason, I continue to sin over and over, turning my back on Jesus and discouraging people from turning to God.

Why do I do this? It is because I am afraid; afraid of taking a leap into the unknown, and afraid to take the plunge into living by God’s word alone. No longer could I fall back on my excuses and safety nets nor could I change my mind if I leapt out of my comfort zone.

So am I ready to take that risk? Oh yes, because eventually it will lead me to the greatest Reward ever known: eternal life. All of the fear inside my body will eventually dissipate because I know Jesus is holding my right hand, ready to lead me on the path He has made! His plan is so much better than mine, even if I think mine is always better.

Peter was only willing to be the friend of Jesus, but I want to go further. I want to say, “Yes Lord, I love you with my entire being!” and not be stretching the truth at all. It will not be easy, but Jesus does not call us to live lives of ease. Instead He says to “take up your cross and follow Me”. Jesus’ cross was a burden and a trial, and yet He faced it with grace and love as His life ended for three long days… If Jesus calls me to be crucified, whether literally or figuratively, I am now ready to do it, not by myself, but with Him at my side.

Are you ready? Then jump off the cliff into His arms, and take your level of commitment further than you have ever been.

That the World May Know

As Tina walked through the mall, she noticed a Christian bookstore. She figured that it would be good to stop in and see what new devotional books were out. Tina had been a Christian since she was eight, and had always made a point to do a devotional in the morning before she went to school. Walking around to the teen section, Tina noticed Rita (a girl from school) looking at the large array of Bibles. Rita looked up from the table and smiled in Tina’s direction. “Hi! What are you doing here?” Rita asks. Tina answers that she is looking for a devotional book. When Rita looks surprised, Tina asks her what she is thinking. “Oh, I just didn’t even know you were a Christian!” Rita answers.

First of all, Rita and Tina are two figments from my imagination. This is not a real experience, conversation, or encounter. This is not even a story I have been told, so please do not think I am writing about you.

However, I am not saying this won’t ever happen to you or me, because I think it can. That is, unless we do something about it. Our world has taught us to hide our personal beliefs and fit in without causing a stir. I agree that it is harder to be conspicuous, but I do not think that this is necessarily a bad thing.

I often discuss how we need to be different and be world-changers instead of go-with-the-flow-ers (if that’s a word…), but that is not what I’m after today. Although these are still important subjects, there is an even more important issue that I have not addressed much.

Let me start out with this question: If a person off the street could look over the past two days of your life, could they tell that you are a Christian? Or would they be surprised to find this out? I sure hope that in my life, it would take only five minutes for them to see that I am a Christian, redeemed by Christ’s love, and granted freedom from my sins!

I do not go to public school like Tina, but I have plenty of opportunities to reveal my Lord and Savior through the way I live. I have a job that grants me a plethora of instances in which to show the love of Jesus. I dance at a studio where I can openly reach out to those who are hurting or sad. Even going to the store with my family can be a place to exemplify Christ!

I can honestly tell you that if Rita had told me instead of Tina that she was surprised I was a Christian, I would have been utterly heartbroken. I want my life to be a living testimony to the wonders of my Lord, and if I knew that I wasn’t doing a good job of it, I would want to immediately change the way I was living.

John 13:15 says, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” If we live like Christ, people will notice. Like Tina, our culture has told us to fit in with the rest of the crowd, not stand out and shout to the corners of the earth what the Son of God has done for us.

If you walked down the street, would people notice that there was something different about you? Or would they just pass you by without even a glance? Rita gave Tina a major wakeup call. Tina had been a faithful Christian inside of her home, but in the world, no one could even tell that she was a follower of Jesus.
Is this not what has happened to us? Have we decided to keep God boxed in at home only? Isn’t it true that Jesus has washed us clean on the inside, and yet we don’t let anyone else find out about this redeeming love?

So, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Let the world know that you are a Christian, and proud to be so! Scream of His glory and power and strength! Make a difference in our dark world! God will win in the end, but we are put here for a purpose.

Are you like Tina? Have you hidden the light that burns so brightly inside you? Or are you going to take off the mask and live like you are a Christian inside and out?

"But it's NORMAL!"

I am actually a very shy person, believe it or not. I often hear someone say something that I think is wrong, but I do not usually give that person a piece of my mind. This blog is the outpouring of my soul in written form. I take all the instances in my own life that bother me, and I correct them for others to see and learn from. I do not back down from my beliefs, but I’m not very outgoing or loud about what I think deep down inside. Even though I’m quiet, however, I have quite a reputation for being abnormal. This doesn’t really bother me, because I do not strive to be “normal”. I strive to be different in the eyes of the world.

I frequently hear the phrase “it’s normal”. Typically, the context centers around something that has been deemed “okay” because it is “normal”. I want to shout, “Just because it’s normal doesn’t make it okay!” but I can’t for fear of offending someone and losing a friendship.

What do you think is considered “normal” in our society that isn’t okay in the sight of God? I can think of many examples, but I will specifically talk about five of them.

#1 – Teenage Attitude
This is one in particular that has bothered me for a very long time. I often hear people say, “Well, he’s a teenager!” or “I can’t wait until she’s out of this teenage phase”. It drives me crazy, because I know that “teenagerism” has become normal, though it did not start out that way. There was no such thing as a teenager back in Bible times! You were either a child or an adult. Because there was no intermediate stage, it forced the children to be mature and competent. Do you think maybe we should revert back to that??? It’s hard for me to hold my tongue when people refer to their teens as “normal”. A normal teen should choose to be a young adult, and not an overgrown child.

#2 – Public Displays of Affection
You almost can’t avoid it. I’ll be walking down the street, and there will be a couple either my age or younger holding hands, hugging, or kissing. I don’t have any problem with married couples doing these things, but it does bother me that nearly everyone my age has a boyfriend/girlfriend and is not shy about showing affection in public. It’s sick, gross, and very “normal”. That does not make it right. I don’t have a problem with dating or courting, but I do prefer it be done when it can actually lead to something. Honestly, I don’t see any point in dating until a person is old enough to get married. I don’t think having a boyfriend just because everyone else does is a very good reason.

#3 – Cussing
I have never understood why using mild to severe language is so “cool”. It does not appeal to me in the least, and even if I wasn’t a Christian, I most likely wouldn’t use bad language. Actual swear words really bother me, but the take-offs of those words (such as “crap”, “suck”, “freaking”, and more) are what really bother me. Who said that one was a curse word, but the other was okay to say? Who makes up these rules anyway? These words frequent most teenage conversations, and are extremely rude. Just because this is “normal” still does not make it “good”.

#4 – Immodest clothing
Sometimes I wonder what fashion designers are thinking. Some of the latest styles are weird and ugly, but that doesn’t stop teen girls from buying them anyway just because they are “trendy”. I am not very fashionable with my clothing (and frankly, I don’t care), but I am especially bothered by immodesty. This problem is rampant among teen girls, and it is mainly because they follow the examples of latest Hollywood sensations. Whatever is “cool” to wear, teen girls buy. I don’t know when this cycle started, but I have a feeling that it’s been going on for a very long time. “Normal” clothing nowadays is provocative and flashy, and I am not going to buy it just because it is “cool”.

#5 – Laziness
It seems to me that if a teenager can do as little as possible and still get away with it, they will. I used to be like that, but then I realized that no one respected my work ethic. I now can say that I do try to work as hard as possible. Don’t get me wrong: I still succumb to laziness, but I’m working on it. I don’t know what happened to working hard and doing your best, but it has obviously been thrown out the window with modesty and clean language. I know it’s “normal” for a teenager to sleep in until 1:00 PM on a Saturday, but maybe the day would be better spent working hard or at least spending time with family. I was complimented by my manager at the place I work for always keeping my hands busy. This made me feel good and bad at the same time. I was glad my manager was pleased, but sad that I was the only one who did work the entire time I’m there. I hope that just because being lazy is typical, that there are still a few souls out there who are not afraid of hard work.

I am obviously “different”, but I am not afraid to be so. I will not give in to the “normal” trends when they are wrong, and I don’t care what kind of weirdo other teens think I am. I’m not afraid of being different, as long as it is right and good in God’s eyes.

How many Christians...

…does it take to change the world?

On Sunday, my family went to a very special Colorado Rockies game. The Rockies are known as a Christian Team, and every summer they have “Faith Day”. Basically, you come to an afternoon game, and stay afterward for a certain Christian music artist concert. This year, MercyMe was asked to do it. As we found this out right around my Dad’s birthday, we decided to buy him an experience instead of a present. He was very excited and we all anticipated it eagerly. We had a great time at the game (the Rockies won 4-2), but the concert was amazing. Although the sound was slightly distorted, we couldn’t really see the stage, and there were some loud, obnoxious kids behind me, I found it to be one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. Worshiping with 20,000 fellow Christians is something that brings goose-bumps to my arms and pitter-patters to my heart! We sang “I can only Imagine”, “Amazing Grace”, and ended on “I Love you Lord”. To hear 20,000 people who have hearts similar to mine was a heart-stopping experience. I felt like Jesus was standing right on home plate just beckoning for me to run to Him!

Being with that many people who know Jesus made me wonder why our country is in such bad shape. I mean, honestly, we are no longer leaning toward being a Christian country. Abortions take place every day, gay marriages are legal in some states, and euthanasia is being talked about. If we were truly a Christian country, these things would not be taking place.

I think our world has gotten this way because the Christians have let it become that way.

I know that sounds a bit harsh, but if each of those 20,000 Christians at the baseball game had gone out and done something to change a small part of our world, don’t you think it would have made a noticeable difference? And if every Christian no matter what country, spent their lives reaching out to others and spreading God’s word, wouldn’t it make a huge difference? I’m almost positive that it would.

We as Christians have become lazy and content with sitting back and letting someone else do the hard work. We don’t want to have to face persecution or rejection, so we sit at home reading our Bibles but not acting upon what God commands us to do.

1 Peter 2:16 says, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants for God.” Does this verse say, “Do as little as you possibly can while still believing in God”? NO! It says to live as servants to God. We must obey our Lord and follow wherever He leads us.

I want to commit to being a world-changer. I want to do something to make my country become a Christian nation. Paganism and corruption are rampant, but I can stand against it. It will not be easy, and it will take a lot of prayer and persistence, but I believe God will bless me on my journey. I hope to be successful, but even if I fail, I know God will be pleased.

So…How many Christians does it take to change the world?

Terms of Respect

Before reading this blog please watch this video…

Now, most of you probably have heard of this incident with Senator Barbara Boxer. It has been plastered all over the news and the internet. My dad was the first one who showed me this clip, and I was very angry at Senator Boxer. Well, I didn’t like her in the first place because of some of the things she has done, but this angered me greatly.

How could she ask an army general to not call her “MA’AM”?? The poor general was just following protocol and she has the audacity to tell him that she’s worked hard for her “title” and she would rather he use that term rather than “ma’am”! I couldn’t believe she would say something to a man who has worked with great diligence to earn his title! Do you think if she called him “sir” that he would ask her to call him “general” because he worked hard for it? I think this is absurd. Apparently Senator Boxer doesn’t know that “ma’am” is a term of respect, not a put-down.

It angered me to know that Senator Boxer could put down a man who fights for her own country. And yet, the general complied with her haughty request, and called her “Senator Boxer” instead of “ma’am”. I don’t think I could have done that. If I was in the general’s place, I would have called her “Senator” but with a lot of sarcasm.

I respect the general greatly for obeying her when it would have been easy to disregard her wishes. That takes a lot of self-control!

This whole incident concerning titles and terms of respect got me to thinking. I paralleled it with the times in the Bible when Jesus walked on this earth. Do you think Jesus was called by the names that were respectful to Him? Shouldn’t he have been called the Messiah, Almighty, Prince of Peace, and the Son of God?

And yet He was beaten, and mocked. The soldiers called Him the “king of the Jews”, but it was not meant as a term of respect, it was a slam against who He was. The soldiers did not believe that He really was God’s Son, so they mocked Him mercilessly. Throughout His time on earth, He was scorned, beaten, crucified, and disregarded. Jesus deserved the highest of praise, and yet He accepted the lowest of insults.

Should Senator Boxer be so concerned about her title? She is but a woman on earth for a short time only, and yet she is concerned about what she is called. Jesus should have been called Christ, and yet He was called a liar. Jesus was not concerned about His title, but about what kind of legacy He was leaving behind.

Jesus showed that a title does not matter here on earth. We are all equal in God’s eyes, therefore no one is higher than another. Perhaps Senator Boxer should be more concerned about what she does in office rather than what name she is called by.
Jesus should have been called the Lion of Judah, the Word of God, Christ, the King, and the author of Life, and yet we still scorn His name. Perhaps we should all take a lesson from Him.

Apples

This week my cousins are here. I have been enjoying my time immensely, and have learned some great things from all of them! On Thursday night, my cousin Johanna and I stayed up until 3 AM just talking about the things that we struggle with. If you know me very well, you will know that I am NOT a late night person! I can barely keep my eyes open past ten o’ clock, so staying up until three was a big deal for me (and yes, I paid for it dearly the next day…). Johanna thinks just like me in so many ways, we can almost finish each other’s sentences! We talked a lot about what is wrong with this world, how purity of mind is just as important as purity of body, but mostly about what we are tempted to do. We both agreed that when we are tempted, we feel dirty inside, regardless of whether we fell into the temptation or not. Johanna said that even though she usually resists temptation, it still leaves a mark on her heart. I agreed with her completely, and felt that finally someone understood how I felt when I was tempted!

Although we may feel dirty, being tempted is not a sin. Really. It is when we give into that temptation that it becomes a sin.

We have to get used to the idea that we are going to be tempted. Temptation entered into the world the moment Eve took a bite of the apple. Satan now has the power to tempt us with whatever he can use to make us stumble. He cannot make us actually fall, but he can place the stumbling blocks right in our paths to trip up our lives.

Although I wish it was not so, it is a part of my everyday life. I am tempted daily, sometimes more than once. I am tempted to cheat on my schoolwork, struggle with my parents, lash out in anger at my siblings, make up a story to be funny, compromise my standards to fit in, do a job sloppily, not live the life that God intends for me, and so much more. Although these are only some of the many temptations I face, these are the ones I struggle with often.

Everyone has different temptations, so I think it is a good idea to write them out. That way, when you feel that tug on your heart to give in to that temptation, you can resist! Find some scriptures that counteract your temptation so that you can use the Word of God which is sharper than a two-edged sword to battle it! It will not be easy to overcome.

The story of Adam and Eve has always been one that brought tears to my eyes. I have often felt angry at them for giving in to temptation, resulting in their banishment from the Garden of Eden. I have often wished that I could go back to that day and tell them to resist so that I can live in the luxury of the Garden where there is no pain or death. But God has a plan, and it will bring Him glory. The apple was instrumental in the time of Adam and Eve, and we could not have been warned against temptation in a better manner.

There are many apples in our lives, and we must learn to resist them with all our might. Remember: To be tempted is not a sin! Do not feel angry at yourself for being tempted. Just make sure you are resisting that apple with all your might, so that your actions will not lead to sin. Jesus was able to resist all temptations, so we can, too.

Drastically Different

Sometimes I’m overwhelmed with the fact that I am so very different from other people my age. I’m not complaining, it’s just hard sometimes.

I love being with my family and I enjoy their presence. I enjoy movie night with my family much more than I ever enjoy a movie night anywhere else. I don’t really care for hanging out with big groups of people because I am pretty shy. Unfortunately, when you are a fifteen-year-old, a lot of things are done in big groups such as church camp, retreats, and other church activities. I choose to stay home with my family instead, so I can’t ever seem to get to the point where I’m accepted within a group of people.

I also am homeschooled, which makes me drastically different from others. My values are different from other Christian teens, I don’t always agree with everything that is done, and sometimes I am even made an outcast just because I am so different. I have been pushed to the outskirts many times based only on the reason that I am not like the others. People don’t know how to relate to me (even though I can carry on a conversation, quite well), so they don’t even try. It’s hard to be homeschooled for this reason, but I wouldn’t give it up just to fit in. I have a feeling that even if I did go to public school, I would still be different.

I wear skirts. Skirts that go below the knee, and sometimes even to the ankle. Not every day, but I LIKE wearing skirts. I had a girl come up and ask me once if I was Amish. Yeah, that was kind of weird. It’s not that I have anything against wearing pants (I even wear shorts as long as they are modest), I just truly enjoy wearing skirts and dresses. I even dress up to go to church. Most people my age don’t wear anything different to church than they would to go to a ball game, but I do. I think it’s a sign of respect toward God, and that’s just what I have always done. I wish people wouldn’t judge me based on my clothing. Aren’t we supposed to look past the outer layer? I have no problem with people who wear jeans to church. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever even thought about it! I just wish people wouldn’t think I’m weird because I wear skirts two or three times a week!!!

My mom is my best friend. I know that’s pretty unusual in the world today, but for me she is who I turn to! When people ask me who my best friend is and I tell them that my mom is, they all look at me in disbelief. I don’t have to have a bunch of friends I can turn to because I have my mom! I wish more girls realized how wonderful a close mother and daughter relationship can be!

I’m not allowed to watch certain movies, listen to certain music, or read certain books. And I’M OKAY WITH THAT. Yes, really. I don’t care if it’s “popular” or “cool”. My parents set my boundaries and I completely trust their judgment. I know that if they say, “Molly, don’t read this,” that it is for my own good! I don’t go behind my parents’ back and do things that I know are wrong, because their rules are for my protection. AND I’M STILL OKAY WITH THAT.

I may have become an outcast in this world, but ultimately, that doesn’t matter. It may be hard for a time, but I know it is more important to be doing the things God wants for me to do! The standards of this world will be thrown out and trampled on the day Jesus returns, so I need to live up to His will, not my own.

I would appreciate prayers and encouragement, because it will still not be easy. However, I am determined not to let that make me give in to what I know is wrong.

“And if on some point you think differently,that too God will make clear to you.” Philippians 3:15