Bold in Faith

For those of you who really know me, or those of you who have heard my story, or read my blog, you know that I struggle a lot with my faith at work. Working in a company that is 'of this world', selling tickets for shows that are usually not of the Christian variety certainly can take its toll on your faith. I've often wondered about the question I spoke about a year or so ago: "If being a Christian was deemed illegal, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" A few days ago, a friend at work came up to me and said that he had been reading my blog, and that he liked that fact that I could be so devoted and dedicated to my faith, even though he and I dont see eye to eye on alot of things.

I don't want to gloat, but it really does make me feel really good that someone at work, the place I struggle with the most noticed my faith, and my dedication to it. Though my faith is easily expressed through my writing, and most easily expressed through my actions in places that I am comfortable expressing it, I do want to be more bold in it at work, in my actions, my words.

Paul, previously Saul was someone who came from a life of sin, of anti religion, of everything that stood against Christ, as we all do, as I do, but, after his conversion, he quickly became one of the most influential Christians in the early church. I want to be more like Paul, using the things that haunt my past to help try to write an even more beautiful future, one that glorifies Christ above my relationships, my friendships, and myself. One that on the day I meet my savior, as my good friend Woo says "my savior will look at me, smiling, and say 'well done'".

Matt

Has it really come to this?

 

A few days ago, a good friend of mine, Courtney Weber  tweeted something that’s stuck with me, and its something I hope stays with you too.

Last night I was able to have dinner with her, and talk some about her gap year, and youth group this year, and other things coming up, but we also got a change to talk about what has become a normal practice, an acceptable trend in todays world.

I remember in High School, when it was “cool” to go to parties, and to drink, and to date and have sex. People strived to do such things, because they wanted to be “cool”. Today, things have changed. Its no longer the cool thing to drink underage, and get drunk all the time, no longer the cool thing to get high all the time; no longer the cool thing to have sex with anyone other than your spouse. Now, its just the norm. It’s the social norm to drink, to get drunk, to sleep with people before you're married, to get high. It’s the norm to see the “cool” kids drinking, the norm to see the “geeks”, the “jocks”, the “artsy” kids, the “nerds”, and even the Christians drinking, smoking, having sex. Honestly, its sad.

I just don’t get it. As Christians, we’re called to save ourselves for whoever we marry. Were called to live up to the standards of of Savior, which doesn’t mean not drinking, but just to follow the law, and to not get drunk, or to sleep around, or have sex before marriage, or to get high. My hope is that I can live according to these standards. My hope is that my life would be pleasing to God, and that when people look at me, they wouldn’t see some “normal” guy, but instead that they would see someone who doesn’t fit in, someone who doesn’t conform, someone who lives with a purpose, with a greater calling, and someone whose live can be a living testimony to the INCREDIBLY full life that we have in Christ.

The question is what will you do about this? How can you change the current trends of society? Its a lot more than a hashtag on twitter, but a slippery slope that we have taken a dive off of, and its time for our generation to believe, and to take the power of Christ and take it to the world, to take it to the hungry, the thirsty, the “least of these” and the lost.

“Do not conform any longer  to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” Romans 12:2

“You're just a conformist if you're drunk and naked, and driving around on a motorcycle, smoking cigarettes and breaking commandments and getting pregnant out of wedlock. Everyone's done that! That's so tired. If you really want to be a rebel, read your Bible, because no one's doing that. That's rebellion. That's the only rebellion left!”- Lecrae, Rebel Intro