Why It's Hard To Be A Christian In Today's Society
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Why It's Hard To Be A Christian In Today's Society

But why it's so important that we remain faithful.

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Why It's Hard To Be A Christian In Today's Society
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There has truly never been a time in my life that being a Christian and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ hasn't been worth it. However, just because it has always been worth it, doesn't mean it's always been easy. It has been difficult sometimes battling between what society says my life should be like and what God, the One who created my life, says my life should be like. But, I truly believe that now, more than ever before, though it may sometimes be hard to be a Christian in today's society, it's also the most important thing you should be holding on to in this world.

Here's why:

Society wants us to be comfortable.

God works best when we're in uncomfortable situations.

Romans 12:2 says "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." You see, God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to seek Him when we are put into uncomfortable situations and to trust Him to know that He will pull us through. Society doesn't care if you become better or become "more" ... comfortable is okay for society. But, comfortable isn't where God works best. Let yourself get uncomfortable and watch what God does in your life.

Society tells us that we need to sing like Beyonce and have a body like Kylie Kardashian.

God says we were fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14-17 says "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!"

When I read that, it's hard for me to not trust that God is speaking truth about who I am and about how much He does know me. When society tells me that I'm beautiful but I'd be more beautiful if ... there's no way I could ever see myself as "beautiful" in society's eyes because I'll never be everything society wants me to be. Sure, Beyonce was fearfully and wonderfully made and Kylie too, ut, to God, I am everything in spite of all my faults and failures, scars and beauty marks. I don't have to be anyone but me. I was fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of the universe - the same Creator who placed each star in the sky and knows them by name thought that the earth needed one of me (and you), too. Beautiful, huh?

Society tells us to look up to people like Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump as our leader and that we must be on one side or the other.

God says you should worship and look up to Him and let Him truly be on YOUR side.

Psalm 25:15 says "My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net." God never intended for us to spend our life looking to others for the things we should be looking to Him for. When we choose to look at imperfect people, we set ourselves up to receive less than God's best for us. Look towards the One who knows your heart ... He created it. He knows what you need. He will lead you through rough waters and steady ground simply because He loves you - you didn't have to vote for Him to make Him love you.

Society wants us to do what we want to do because we're all we have in the world.

God says, "do it my way because I gave you life and I've blessed you with everything you need."

Matthew 6:33-34 says "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." God tells us that we just need to seek Him and pursue a life with Him, day-by-day, moment-to-moment, and everything we could possibly need in this life will be provided for us. I don't need to worry about a thing because what is meant for me, will be given to me. I want the life God has destined for me, don't you?

Society wants you to buy and do things that will make your life better.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our salvation and His love will always be given freely.

John 8:36 says "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." You are not bound by society. You don't have to buy into what society says you need in order to be free. God gave you life and His Son, Jesus Christ, saved you from your sins so that despite your faults and failures, you could be loved and adored for everything you are, not everything you need to pay to be. His love is freely given and in that, you are free to be who He intended you to be.

Isaiah 54:10 says "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has mercy on you." God's love for you doesn't change no matter what you do right and certainly no matter what you do wrong. You didn't have to do anything for Jesus Christ to die on a criminal's cross for your sins - in fact, we gave him every reason not to die for a bunch of sinners. But, God loved us so much that he couldn't imagine a life without us ... He couldn't imagine heaven without us. He sent His Son to pay the ultimate price for your life. Not just mine, or my friends and family, but yours. Think about that.

Society tells you that sex equals love.

God says that He is love and that you should not be giving yourself to anyone who doesn't intend on pursuing you the way God does every single day.

Song of Solomon 8:6 says "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, its jealously unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame." Society has a way of making us think that sex equals love and we usually come to find that sex outside of marriage is emotionally unfulfilling. That is because God intended for sex to be in the sanctity of marriage, with someone who pursues God alongside you. Place God as a seal upon your heart - allow Him to guard you from fake representations of "love" and trust Him to fulfill your desires of wanting to be loved and adored. You don't need sex from someone who doesnt pursue you the way God does and you don't need someone to fulfill you. Let God pour into your life and show you what true love looks like. HE IS ENOUGH.

Society tells you that if you're going to be a Christian, you have to do it the "right" way.

God says that there is no "right" way to have a relationship with Him - His love for you isn't conditionally based on you seeking him the "right" way.

Proverbs 8:17 says "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me." You see, there's no "right way" for us to be living as Christians. The incredible thing about having a relationship with Jesus Christ is that your relationship with him is uniquely yours and special to the two of you. All you need to do is love God and seek Christ in everything you do - big and small - and you will find Him in you and in everything you do. It's that simple. Don't let society fool you into believing that you're doing the "Christ walk" thing wrong because what you do is different from someone else. In the Lord's eyes, you're never being compared to anyone else. We're not on a scale of righteousness. God love us all uniquely and we all pursue Him in our own individual way.

Society says that God doesn't exist.

God says it's about faith, not just believing in what you can see.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says "For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

When you believe in God, you don't have to see Him to know He exists and to know that He is with you wherever you go (Jeremiah 29:11 - shameless plug for to favorite verse, check it out!). Faith is stronger than sight when it comes to God - seeing Him would be indescribably beautiful but knowing that He sees us wholly may be even more beautiful.

1 John 4:4, 6 says "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than He who is in the world... We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

Our society has been so plagued by the idea that we need to be like Beyonce and the Kardashians (don't get wrong though, I'm not talking down on these individuals whatsoever because who am I to judge?) that we fail to see how we could ever be changed by someone we can't see. Unfortunately, our society has fallen from being "one nation under God." We took God out of our schools. We've been told that the way we are supposed to live our lives as Christians is "outdated" or "hypocritical." Society says that if you can't see it and feel it, then it means nothing. We have people hating Christians so much that they murder them in their own churches because he or she believes himself to be more powerful than God. God isn't the "cool" thing to do, according to society, therefore, it isn't worth doing. God isn't "hip" and "with the times" (or so society thinks). But God says to all of that, "of course you can't "see" me or "feel" me, of course you think I'm "not cool" or "not with the times" because you don't know me - you've turned your away from Me and My will for your life." When we strive daily to align our lives with Christ we can see him as visibly and wholly as if He were standing right in front of us. To seek Him is to know Him and trust me, if you seek Him, you will feel His existence in every part of your life.

Being a Christian in today's society may be the hardest thing you'll battle with on a daily basis, but I also know from experience, that being a Christian in today's society is the most important thing you could ever be. You make a choice every day, to follow Jesus Christ or to follow who society deems is better. You make a choice every day to see yourself through perfect eyes or to see yourself through glasses that see only your scars and everything you've ever done wrong. You were given that choice (free will) by God ... wouldn't you like to know that His Son dying on that criminal's cross meant something for your life? I know for me, it means everything.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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