"What if tomorrow
What if today
Faced with the question
What would you say?" ~ Michael W. Smith, "This is Your Time"
Last month marked 20 years since the deadly school shooting at Columbine High School. To some, this was just the first in an epidemic of mass shootings that is beginning to spread farther and farther. While this is unfortunately very true, that day means something different for me. What I heard about in the aftermath of that day caused me to question the strength of my faith for the first time in my young life.
At the time of the shooting, I was 11 years old, and though I grew up in the church, had only really been a Christian for about a year. When I first heard about Cassie Bernall being shot after admitting to being a Christian, I was shocked. The thought of someone being killed for faith in Christ was completely foreign to me. At that point in my life, everyone I knew was a Christian, so it was hard for me to understand that anyone wasn't, and even harder to accept that someone would be so anti-Christianity that they would kill someone because of it.
The song quoted above came out shortly after the tragedy, and listening to it really got me thinking about what I would say if I were asked about my faith under similar circumstances. I wanted to believe that I would say yes, but I honestly didn't know. I prayed that I would never have to find out.
In the past 20 years, much of my faith journey has centered around how I would answer that question were it ever asked to me. I can now say that my answer would be a resounding yes. My life has had its ups and downs, but God has been faithful to me through everything, so it is my honor to remain faithful to Him. I still pray that I never find myself in that situation, but I also pray for the strength to admit my loyalty if it ever happens. I don't want to die for a good, long while, but I know precisely where I am going when I do. If faced with a situation where my belief cost me my life, I would immediately go from acknowledging God to standing in His presence, and I think that would be a thrilling transition from this life to the next.
What about you? I'm guessing most of you reading this blog are Christians, or at least want to be. The day may come when you have to stand up for your faith, and while the situation might not be a matter of life or death, it could still be uncomfortable or unpopular to do so. If you're not sure yet, that's okay. I used to be that way too. Many of us who live in countries where we have religious freedom don't really consider this question unless we have to. However, if you don't know how you would respond, I urge you to pray about it. Knowing the answer serves a purpose even if we never find ourselves in a difficult situation such as this because it gives us hope in other difficult situations. The more we pray, the closer we get to God, and the closer we get to God, the easier it is to answer this question. This closeness to God also helps us be better representatives of Him in our fallen world, and will draw others to want to know more about the hope that is within us. So will you say yes to Him?
What if today
Faced with the question
What would you say?" ~ Michael W. Smith, "This is Your Time"
Last month marked 20 years since the deadly school shooting at Columbine High School. To some, this was just the first in an epidemic of mass shootings that is beginning to spread farther and farther. While this is unfortunately very true, that day means something different for me. What I heard about in the aftermath of that day caused me to question the strength of my faith for the first time in my young life.
At the time of the shooting, I was 11 years old, and though I grew up in the church, had only really been a Christian for about a year. When I first heard about Cassie Bernall being shot after admitting to being a Christian, I was shocked. The thought of someone being killed for faith in Christ was completely foreign to me. At that point in my life, everyone I knew was a Christian, so it was hard for me to understand that anyone wasn't, and even harder to accept that someone would be so anti-Christianity that they would kill someone because of it.
The song quoted above came out shortly after the tragedy, and listening to it really got me thinking about what I would say if I were asked about my faith under similar circumstances. I wanted to believe that I would say yes, but I honestly didn't know. I prayed that I would never have to find out.
In the past 20 years, much of my faith journey has centered around how I would answer that question were it ever asked to me. I can now say that my answer would be a resounding yes. My life has had its ups and downs, but God has been faithful to me through everything, so it is my honor to remain faithful to Him. I still pray that I never find myself in that situation, but I also pray for the strength to admit my loyalty if it ever happens. I don't want to die for a good, long while, but I know precisely where I am going when I do. If faced with a situation where my belief cost me my life, I would immediately go from acknowledging God to standing in His presence, and I think that would be a thrilling transition from this life to the next.
What about you? I'm guessing most of you reading this blog are Christians, or at least want to be. The day may come when you have to stand up for your faith, and while the situation might not be a matter of life or death, it could still be uncomfortable or unpopular to do so. If you're not sure yet, that's okay. I used to be that way too. Many of us who live in countries where we have religious freedom don't really consider this question unless we have to. However, if you don't know how you would respond, I urge you to pray about it. Knowing the answer serves a purpose even if we never find ourselves in a difficult situation such as this because it gives us hope in other difficult situations. The more we pray, the closer we get to God, and the closer we get to God, the easier it is to answer this question. This closeness to God also helps us be better representatives of Him in our fallen world, and will draw others to want to know more about the hope that is within us. So will you say yes to Him?
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