Do the people around you know you go to church? I’m not asking if they know your full journey of faith or if you have walked with them down the Roman’s Road. At some point in our recent history it has become awkward for us to tell other people why we are busy on Sunday mornings. And if we won’t tell people we go to church what hope is there that we would tell them more about our faith.
Our hesitance to share often comes from a fear of being judged. We can all readily admit that Christianity hasn’t had the best public image in recent years as people have wrapped their own agendas in a thin Christian veneer. Hopefully, seeing this could inspire us to speak up more loudly to say that person does not speak for us.
Being a Christian is hard. It’s especially hard in a world that seems so openly opposed to what we know is right. Jesus knew it would be hard and even tells us in John 15, “If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.” (MSG)
We have been called to be different in a world that loves conformity. Think about all the arguments you see on social media. Rarely is it an open an honest discourse about the issue, more often it’s people saying, “everyone that doesn’t agree with me is clearly a moron.” We trap ourselves in a “picking sides” mentality and everything becomes a competition. People start thinking that changing their minds is equivalent to losing a battle.
As a Christian, you are called to love people so much that they become curious about what you have, and through this you are able to share with them the source of your love. You were not called to hide your faith away and only pull it out on a rainy day. You were not called to wait for the perfect moment on a perfect day with the perfect person to share your faith. You were called to be an ambassador for Christ in this world.
It’s a scary proposition stepping out and boldly declaring what you believe. But maybe you can take a baby-step. Let someone around you know you go to church. Let someone know that you believe in something bigger. Let someone know that even on your worst day there is a hope on to which you hold.
I pray that you can be bold and know that you are never alone in your faith.