Being a Christian Isn’t Easy....

Being a Christian isn’t easy. Especially living in a world that has pushed God out a long time ago. Truth matters. It stands the test of time. And no matter if people believe it or not, it has to be continued to be preached, regardless of the cost. What the world sees as foolishness, the believer sees as God’s way of communicating His plans with those that love Him. The core truth about those that don’t want God in their lives is simply because they don’t want to be accountable for anything they do. It’s ludicrous to think that we can live without responsibility. Ask a parent? A teacher? A police officer? Or anyone with a job? Responsibility is part of everyday life. Without it, there’s chaos. Imagine driving on the roads and not having anything to dictate the rules? Or taking a test? Or depositing money in a bank? I could go on and on, but without responsibility, life won’t work. And yet, people accept the responsibilities at work (even if they don’t like it), yet cringe at the fact that we are all responsible to God. You can only pretend for so long. This is why it’s paramount for believers to continue to live and preach the gospel. It’s the only answer to life’s biggest questions. And the only way to be forgiven. Satan tempts then accuses us when we fall into temptation. Repentance is the only rightful response, then it’s followed by forgiveness, which brings peace to the responsible soul. Living a life with Biblical integrity will never be popular, for you will always have opposition. But standing on the foundation of truth, Jesus, is the only way to stand when the storms of life come. And it’s the only guarantee to remain standing when the storms end. The modern day prophet will never be popular, but he will know he is serving a Purpose, far greater than his opposition can bring about. Why do we do it? Solely for our love and gratitude to God. Who benefits? The lost souls who are desperately seeking answers. So the next time you are opposed by someone for sharing the truth with them, remember, you honor God, and you love others by continually living and speaking out the truth. It shows what’s truly in your heart.

1 Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:1-18