In my studies I am sometimes reminded that there are
people who have paid a serious price for their commitment to Christ.
When this reminder comes my way it is not unusual
for me to recall that there have been times in my life when I was reluctant or
even embarrassed to stand up for Christ because I did not want to be thought of
as one of those “religious fanatics” who is a little too far out there with
this Jesus-stuff.
Believe me, I am not proud of this. It is an embarrassing
admission of weakness. You see, I did not want to risk being teased or mocked.
I did not want to be thought of as un-cool [which is ironic because I’ve never
really been cool in the first place, but I didn’t realize it].
This is not very good, huh? People have been willing
to stand up to torture and execution—they’ve literally been killed—for the
cause of Christ and I’ve been unwilling to face a little bit of teasing.
Please understand I’m not trying to force my beliefs
on others. I realize it is not possible for me to make people embrace something
they do not want to believe. And I realize a number of people who read this do
not see things the way I do. But I post a good bit about my faith in Christ
because of the extraordinary influence He has had on my life and the lives of
many others whom I know and love. Also, because I have come to a place in my
life in which I feel no shame regarding the truth of Jesus and who He is and
what He has done. I am not embarrassed by Him, I am proud and honored to know
Him.
Oh, and there is this factor, too: I have a greater
understanding of the inevitability of truth.
“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about
Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16 [NLT]
