The other day as I was driving to school, I was listening to the morning talk show on the Christian radio network. The woman DJ brought up a really interesting topic: the pedastool that society puts on Christians. She had mentioned a popular athlete who was considered a "devout Christian" and really wanted to know the difference between an athlete or celebrity who is devoted to God compared to a normal person, say you and me, who is devoted to God. Why is that celebs and athletes are called "devout Christians" but we are just called Christians?
Is it b/c they are in the spotlight? Maybe the fact that they have so much peer pressure on them and can still maintain their faith in God shows that they are devoted? One could argue that however, and say that even though I am not a celeb or a famous athlete, I still have peer pressure in my life too, and people in their own ways, tell me my faith is wrong.
So what makes you devoted really? Going back to a previous blog, how many Christians do you really know who call themselves Christians, but maybe not follow the ways of Jesus? How many celebrities do you know who call themselves Christians but maybe not follow the Word? Take Candace Cameron-Bure for example (DJ from Full House). She is known in Hollywood for being a Christian, her and her brother Kirk Cameron, but in her new show, Make It or Break It, she is seen kissing a man on the show, while she is married in real life. So is she being a devout Christian? Her brother Kirk has a rule in his contract that he refuses to have any intimate scenes with women b/c of his respect for his wife and their valves. In fact, in his movie Fireproof, at the end when Kirk's character kisses his wife, it's in shadow effect and that is instead, his real-life wife.
Am I a devout Christian? I will be honest- I still make mistakes. What about when it comes to others? God says to love one another right? Okay- so there is this girl in my class at school. The only way to describe her so you get what I am saying is: DIFFERENT. And that might be an understatement. I believe this girl has a learning disability and just seems a little off. When I first encountered her in my class, my reaction as a person was to laugh at her with my friends and maybe roll my eyes when she talked. Then I realized what I was doing was very wrong and I wasn't being a good Christian and I felt like a hypocrite. It was so easy to get wrapped up into the peer pressure of my friends. But then God helped me turn it around. I started to talk to this girl. I began to speak to her during class and saying hi to her as I walk by in the hallways. Once I started talking to her, some of the girls in class did as well. Now, this doesn't change the fact that she still seems a little off, but at least now I can look past that and be kind to her and treat her the way a person deserves to be treated. I truly believe that having the help of God and my faith has helped me with this.
My faith has really inspired me to want to keep improving myself. To be the person who can be a good role model to her peers. My silly goal is to be the girl that everyone points to and says "Oh her, yea she's really nice and so kind. She will totally make you feel comfortable." B/c that's what I want to do. I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable in any situation and if my kind words or just a simple hello can help ease their uncomfortableness, then that's what I need to be doing. Jesus set the bar and I need to be in constant reach for that bar.
