Doing the UNpopular Thing

In the past few weeks I thought I was facing conflict and opposition simply because I was creating it without knowing; but as time went on and I couldn't find answers to what I was doing to cause it, God started to show me something I haven't really had to experience too much of yet.

In Paul's epistles (Romans - 2 Timothy) a common theme is that being a Christian is going to cause you to be up against a lot of opposition. By committing to your faith in Christ, you are committing to serving Him despite it being the unpopular thing to do. This was something that was taught to me during my years at MCA, but it was never really something I had to truly embrace until I left my little "MCA Bubble" and ventured into the world of a public university.

I'm not saying that everyone at UW-River Falls is against Christianity. And I'm not saying that the Christians I've grown to know almost like family are any less of Christians than the ones that I grew up around at MCA. What I am saying is that there is a lot more opposition and inconsistency with so many different backgrounds all coming together. As I've come to discover the parts of my faith that are unshakeable, I'm beginning to realize that the way I intend to live my life out for Christ is not going to be the way that others see fit. I understand the truth that God convicts us all of different things, and there are certain struggles that are harder for some to overcome than others. But I also understand that the Word of God is unfallible truth and was breathed into existence by an unchanging, sovereign God.

These past few days I have had a constant craving to be in conversation with God constantly, something that is not so easy when you're in classes or at work all day long. But I am also beginning to understand the way God sees us and how His heart breaks for those who don't long to be with Him forever, no matter the consequences. That feeling, that understanding, makes the time that I long to be with Him a result of the intense desire I have for all the people I know to have a relationship with God the way I do. My heart has literally been breaking for those people, especially the ones I'm close to; and even though it's a whole lot more fun to be well-liked and to have friends, I believe with all my heart that being disliked, alone, and maybe even hated can sometimes be the best thing for us, our faith, and eventually the eternal lives that others are going to experience.

In the end, Jesus looks back at all of us and says his sacrifice has been justified (Is 53:10-11). As a follower of Christ, it is my choice to give of myself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) so that His name may live on and become the stronghold for all of God's glorious creation. When I look back, I want to be able to see that God's name has been glorified above all else and be praised as being faithful to what God called me to do rather than going along with what the world says is popular.