Have you ever found yourself in a place where you don’t fit in?
Being a Christian is like that. There are times when we can’t find ourselves being comfortable among our non-Christian friends, and don’t really fit into the ‘Christian crowd’ either. Being faithful to God can seem like one of life’s hardest challenges.
Living in a way that pleases God is not easy. In fact, living a sin-free life is almost impossible. We fail more often than not, whether at school, at home, even at church. Our friends can easily distract us, it seems that we ignore what our parents say, even if we know they’re right, and our family seems distant.
Yet there was one person who led a sin-free life, yet what was tempted in almost every way imaginable. Jesus was tempted by the spiritual leaders of his day, by the government, by those around him, even by the devil himself! But he always found a way to stay on the right track and obey God in every way. How?
Getting over our own fears of anxiety about the past, insecurity about the present, and uncertainty about the future is a hard thing to do. It seems much easier not to think about fear than to face our fears.
But there is a way. Overcoming fear by embracing faith in Christ is the only way to live a life that pleases God. Knowing that Jesus also faced the same kind of fears that we face on a daily basis can become a source of encouragement– knowing that we have nothing to fear if we have God on our side.
Knowing that Jesus also faced the same kind of fears that we face on a daily basis can become a source of encouragement. Share on XInstead of focusing on how other people want us to live life, we can look to Jesus, who shows us a life that is worth living. When we begin to focus on him, life becomes something worth living, because we know that we no longer have to live a life of fear, but instead, live a life that relies totally upon him.
We are often controlled by a ‘fear of the unknown’– because we fear what we cannot control. People who say certain things about us, or believe things about our character that isn’t actually true are doing so based on fear. But that doesn’t have to be your life.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that life becomes a walk in the park, where everything becomes easy, people love us, no matter what we do, and there is nothing that we cannot do. Life is still a journey, but it is a journey that we don’t have to do alone. Jesus is always there to guide, strengthen and lead you.
We live in a way that pleases God– only when we are able to come to realize who we are in his sight. We are loved, we are pursued, we are redeemed. But this is not on the basis of our own achievements or “good” thoughts and desires. In fact, nothing we do ever really measures up to God’s perfect standards.
But living for ourselves displeases God and dishonors the life we are meant to live for God alone. The only way we can live in a way that is upright– that can really please God, is when we take that step beyond ourselves, and begin to live in a way that embraces those outside of ourselves.
Living a life of faith and dependence on God may seem strange to those of your friends or family who aren’t Christian. They might think that you aren’t cool enough or good enough to hang out with. Maybe, they think you’re no fun at all. But living out your faith is way better than living a life of fear.
When everyone else around you seems to be living their life in a way that is opposite to the faith that you claim, you can know that living a faith-filled life that pleases God is the right way to live, and that you have nothing to fear when Jesus is in your heart– knowing that He always is there, right with you.
