Shout it!
33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:33
As a fast food restaurant, Chick Fil A has seen its share of news coverage in the past week. A spotlight, that they may or may not have expected, has ensued as the result of one person standing up for their beliefs. The result has been demonstrations, lines that fill parking lots, vandalism, and multiple conversations about what it is to stand up for your faith and what the results can often end up being.
I was certain, as I watched the news coverage, that I wish to be the type of person that not only knows what they believe, but also someone that is able to stand up for those beliefs when push comes to shove. And, maybe more recently, I'm learning that I'd like I stand up for those beliefs even before push comes to shove. But I never thought an average trip to the doctor would leave me in my own Chick Fil A type situation.
However, in my life I've come to know that God doesn't do anything on accident, and that I needed this moment to publicly declare what I believe! The circumstance in the doctor's office had me answering a question solely based on my faith. And the doctor who was friendly and lovely, acted completely shocked when I answered the way I did. She looked at me with a sense of awe, almost as if I was the only person alive who'd ever answered the question that way. And I began to get an awkward feeling like I was a weird creature that no longer existed in this crazy messed up world.
This situation, where I so naturally stood up for my faith, left me feeling an array of emotions. At first, I just felt weird. My faith was something I love and my dedication to it is something that in so many ways I should be proud of, but that exchange had me feeling embarrassed and so different from the world. And then as I recognized that, my emotions changed to a deep sadness. I realized this; the world we live in today is one where its more common for people to live against the love of Christ then it is for them to live with it. Then, as I continued to process that two minute exchange, with a doctor I'll never see again, I got so mad. First, at her for the sense of shame she indirectly made me feel for living my life by faith, and then at the devil for trying to use this world, and the beliefs of this world, to bring me down.
I ranted on and on about this experience with a few of my holy and beautiful friends! And they helped me to discover the following truth. That split second of accountability to my faith, was in itself evangelization. And why did it leave me feeling alone for a moment? I felt this way because the world doesn't tell us about love, and Christ, and what it means to live a life of faith. And so standing up for what I believed left me for a second feeling completely isolated from the world. But isn't that exactly the way the devil wants it? The devils knows that as long as the world teaches hate, and hurt, and greed then it'll be easy for us all to remain with the world.
Here's the news flash, God overcame the world. And if we want to follow Him we will too! I'm not going to act like it is natural or easy to make these choices in our day to day lives, because as I experienced the other day, I know it's not. But, I think it's truly a gift that each of us has an experience with our faith that we can share, and I know that everything in the world is asking us to keep that story hidden. But I can also see that the world is begging to hear that story of love. Christ wants us to share His story with as many people as we can.
Evangelization starts with each of us. And it starts in your life now! It can be in big public displays of our faith and in little answers to simple questions. God has placed in your heart His love and a faith in Him, don't let the world trample that. And don't hide that love. You wouldn't hide it from the world if you found the love of your life, isn't Christ's love so much greater than that?! Shout it, scream it, write it on your spiral notebook, and believe that He won't let you down! Don't wait for when push comes to shove, live your faith and share your faith starting now!
As a fast food restaurant, Chick Fil A has seen its share of news coverage in the past week. A spotlight, that they may or may not have expected, has ensued as the result of one person standing up for their beliefs. The result has been demonstrations, lines that fill parking lots, vandalism, and multiple conversations about what it is to stand up for your faith and what the results can often end up being.
I was certain, as I watched the news coverage, that I wish to be the type of person that not only knows what they believe, but also someone that is able to stand up for those beliefs when push comes to shove. And, maybe more recently, I'm learning that I'd like I stand up for those beliefs even before push comes to shove. But I never thought an average trip to the doctor would leave me in my own Chick Fil A type situation.
However, in my life I've come to know that God doesn't do anything on accident, and that I needed this moment to publicly declare what I believe! The circumstance in the doctor's office had me answering a question solely based on my faith. And the doctor who was friendly and lovely, acted completely shocked when I answered the way I did. She looked at me with a sense of awe, almost as if I was the only person alive who'd ever answered the question that way. And I began to get an awkward feeling like I was a weird creature that no longer existed in this crazy messed up world.
This situation, where I so naturally stood up for my faith, left me feeling an array of emotions. At first, I just felt weird. My faith was something I love and my dedication to it is something that in so many ways I should be proud of, but that exchange had me feeling embarrassed and so different from the world. And then as I recognized that, my emotions changed to a deep sadness. I realized this; the world we live in today is one where its more common for people to live against the love of Christ then it is for them to live with it. Then, as I continued to process that two minute exchange, with a doctor I'll never see again, I got so mad. First, at her for the sense of shame she indirectly made me feel for living my life by faith, and then at the devil for trying to use this world, and the beliefs of this world, to bring me down.
I ranted on and on about this experience with a few of my holy and beautiful friends! And they helped me to discover the following truth. That split second of accountability to my faith, was in itself evangelization. And why did it leave me feeling alone for a moment? I felt this way because the world doesn't tell us about love, and Christ, and what it means to live a life of faith. And so standing up for what I believed left me for a second feeling completely isolated from the world. But isn't that exactly the way the devil wants it? The devils knows that as long as the world teaches hate, and hurt, and greed then it'll be easy for us all to remain with the world.
Here's the news flash, God overcame the world. And if we want to follow Him we will too! I'm not going to act like it is natural or easy to make these choices in our day to day lives, because as I experienced the other day, I know it's not. But, I think it's truly a gift that each of us has an experience with our faith that we can share, and I know that everything in the world is asking us to keep that story hidden. But I can also see that the world is begging to hear that story of love. Christ wants us to share His story with as many people as we can.
Evangelization starts with each of us. And it starts in your life now! It can be in big public displays of our faith and in little answers to simple questions. God has placed in your heart His love and a faith in Him, don't let the world trample that. And don't hide that love. You wouldn't hide it from the world if you found the love of your life, isn't Christ's love so much greater than that?! Shout it, scream it, write it on your spiral notebook, and believe that He won't let you down! Don't wait for when push comes to shove, live your faith and share your faith starting now!
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