One Step Closer

Standing Up & Not Being Ashamed

I can hear him.
He is calling out to me,
But I ignore him
And continue towards the sea.
I run from him.
Then the water crashes beneath my feet.
I hide from him.
Then I am lost as could ever be.
I am without him,
And without him I am nothing.
I belong to him.
He is my Savior, my king of kings,
So why run from him?
Am I ashamed of being set free?
Why not proclaim him,
Tell them who died for me?
I can hear him.
He is calling out to me,
But I ignore him
And continue towards the sea.

~

I wrote this today (based off of Jonah) because lately I've been noticing more and more just how far the world has gotten away from God and how when us Christians are faced with a rough situation or challenge because of our beliefs, we tend to just run away from it like we are ashamed to be a Christian. But we should not be ashamed! Instead, we should stand tall on the mountain and tell the world all about the greatness of Jesus Christ.

"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on his behalf." -1 Peter 4:16

I know that sometimes, especially in the sinful world we live in today, that it can be really hard to stand up for what we believe is right, even if it has nothing to do with Christianity, and that's okay! God never said that it would be an easy thing to do, BUT he did say that he would be with you every step of the way.

Challenge for this week!!!
If you ever see someone sinning or saying the Lord's name in vain or especially talking bad about Christians, explain to them (nicely) what they are doing that is against what God's word says and explain to them the powerful love that God has for them. Help bring them to understand what being a true Christian is all about! This will hopefully light a fire in the people around you and can help set an example for all of the other struggling Christians out there!

**I want to add this in just in case you feel like you telling a person that they're wrong won't help them do any better... It will! I have a very close friend who, every time someone uses the Lord's name in vain or cusses in front of her, will correct them, whether that person is a close friend or not. She'll be like "Please don't say that!" straight to them. It still amazes me how she has the courage to do that because I've always disliked it when people say bad things like that but have never really shown it because, honestly, I didn't want to hurt the person's feelings. But my friend has began to rub off on me and I've found myself cringing every time I hear someone say a bad word or use the Lord's name in vain and then procede tell them not to.

So just remember this: Everything that you do and say affects the people around you, and if you are scared and allow a person to disrespect your Christianity, then the Christians around you are probably going to want to do the same. Just let your light shine! Don't be ashamed that you're a Christian! Be proud of it! And when you hear God calling you to do something for him, don't run away and hide from it. Be there for God, just as he is always there for you.

Bonus Challenge!!
Go and read the book of Jonah (it's literally four short chapters, it won't kill you!). Yeah, you've heard it probably a million times by now, but this time I want you to read it on your own in a quiet place where you can really focus. Analyze the scripture, and then take it and apply it to your own life.

~Thank you so much for being amazing and I hope that you got as much out of reading this as I did writing it! Have a wonderful week and remember to always stand up for what you feel in your heart it right! Let the Holy Spirit guide you! God bless you!☺

(I also just want to come back and say that these get better the farther in you go, so please don't judge this whole book off of this first part, and if you don't have time to read them all, you can just look at the media attached with each one and you'll get something from most of them. Or you could look at the titles and see which one sounds like the one you need at the moment...Sorry I'm just blabbing now...Thanks for understanding and reading! Love ya!♥)