Standing up for what you believe in is very hard, and I definitely a good reminder of that this week. One of my goals has been to pray before eating lunch every day at school, so that everyone at my lunch table can witness to others throughout the school. I’ve been praying at lunch daily, and I have felt much better and more confident about my faith, and being able to share it with others.
Unfortunately, I realized not everybody wanted to be exposed to what I believe in. I have had some people call our table group ‘freaks’ just because we pray before we eat. That was a little frustrating and discouraging. God tells us that we will be persecuted for His name’s sake, and considering how much He endured for me, the least I can do is give up myself for Him.
Even though it was difficult to have people discourage me from praying, there were also some other people from school that mentioned seeing us pray and appreciating it. Hopefully our prayers will encourage more people to not be ashamed about their religion and feel more comfortable to witness to those around them.
Hopefully I can encourage my classmates to stand up for what they believe in and don’t be afraid to share the gospel with others.
2 Corinthians 12:10http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Corinthians+12:10&version=NIV
Kate, this is so true! I think it is great that people are insulting you. Initially, that sounds a little rude, but it means that they are taking notice and are seeing that something about you and your friends is different. Do you and your friends do anything esle to prove that what you're doing at lunch isn't just empty faith of lip service? What I mean is, are you serving throughout the day also, so that the prayers you say aren't canceled out by your other actions?
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent blog post. Having the faith to stand up for what you believe in is never easy. It is always hard and will always be hard. Praying at lunch is just one of the many ways to further incorporate God into everyday life. This post has motivated me to start praying before I eat at school.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I want to congradulate you on not giving up and persevering through the tough times. That is one of the hardest things to do in life. I wish I could tell you things will get easier, but most of the time they don't. People may contine to call you a 'freak' and maybe something worse. I'm telling you this not to discourage you, but to encourage you. When people call you names and try to bring you down, this means that they're noticing you and what you're doing. Through this, someone might start to ask questions about why you're doing this, and you will have the chance to tell them! I pray daily that God will give you the strength and perseverance to continue praying before lunch, something that may seem small to you, but will impact lives.
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